Miss You Always
by Rocka.NGW
Summary: After a devastating family death, a single mother of two kids meets a handsome stranger who is immediately smitten by her. Will she allow this man to penetrate the wall she's built around herself and her kids? Is returning his love worth the risk? AU, OOC, OC.
1. The Promise

**A/N****: Sorry for staying away for so long. I've battled with other versions of this story, but one day while I was in class, it just came to me and once I returned home I couldn't step away from the laptop, haha. Hope you all enjoy this story **

**Title:**** Miss You Always**

**Pairings:** Ichigo/Orihime

**Rating:** I'm rating this **M**. I don't normally do **M**s, but I wanted to live on the wild side! Besides, imagining a raunchy scene isn't as fun as reading one ;)

**Description:**** After a devastating family death, a single mother of two kids meets a handsome stranger who is immediately smitten by her. Will she allow this man to penetrate the wall she's built around herself and her kids? Is returning his love worth the risk? AU, OOC, OC.**

**Warnings****: M-rated scene, OOC, OC. Yeah!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.

Chapter 1: The Promise

* * *

**Day: Unknown. Time: Unknown.**

* * *

The woman stood still, staring down at the grave.

She inhaled. A soft breeze crept through the fabric of her dress making her shudder a little.

It wasn't as hard as she expected it to be, staring down at him. This would be her first time visiting him, alone, but it wasn't hard. Though, she couldn't help mimicking the feeling of her clenching heart by squeezing the bouquet of red roses closer to her chest.

It was no longer fresh, the grave that is. The disturbed dirt was matted, dry, and green grass was growing in its place. The headstone's sides were beginning to look a little weathered but besides this, it still looked as good as new.

_Keitaro Sano_

_1980-2012_

_Loving Father and Husband_

_R.I.P._

She exhaled. The woman bent down and placed the bouquet of roses over his grave.

The wind blew again, rustling the trees, sending nature's symphony through the air.

Again, she stood up straight, smoothing down the new wrinkles in her dress and pushing back her windblown hair, as if the illusion would be shattered if one strand was out of place.

She thought… she really didn't know what to think. What? That he'd magically appear up from six feet under and confront her?

The woman shook her head and smiled at the ridiculous thought. She may not have known what to think, but there was so much to say…To say to him.

Her mouth opened slowly…

* * *

**Sunday, April 8, 2012 at 4:53:28 PM**

* * *

Orihime blew her bangs out of her face and redialed his number.

"Keitaro…, where are you? You're missing your son's birthday…" Orihime glanced behind her at the festivities. "This is, like, my fifth message. I guess I expected too much... I guess asking you to show up was too much to ask." She hung up then.

Orihime shoved the phone into her pocket. How typical of her ex-husband to promise her one thing and then do the complete opposite. The woman looked on at her son's birthday party. One of the kids were attempting to whack open a piñata with a baseball bat as the others shouted and yelled directions and commands. Kenta stood near the end of the group, looking around the yard as if expecting someone.

Orihime sighed. It wasn't his fault that his father always let him down. Kenta was eleven now and he understood his father's antics. He understood that there was a high chance that he wouldn't show.

Rukia, Orihime's tiny friend, walked into the backyard, carrying the soccer themed birthday cake. "He's a no-show, huh?"

Orihime shrugged. "Yeah, well… it's not like I didn't expect this to happen."

Kenta turned back around to the howling group of children. One of the taller boys managed to crack open the colorful donkey making various candies spill out of it's under belly. The children dove in but Kenta just watched.

Orihime walked over to her son and crouched down to his eye level and squeezed his arm. "Kenta, are you having fun?"

Kenta shrugged his shoulders. It was heartbreaking to see him so upset.

"Kenny, Mommy! Look!" Just then, Orihime's six year old daughter, Kioko, appeared, showing her mother and brother the handfuls of candy she held. She grinned, displaying the deep dimples she inherited from her father.

Orihime smiled. "That's lovely Kiki."

"Where's dad?" Kenta asked suddenly.

Orihime exhaled. She pushed his dark hair out of his face. "He's running a bit late, but I'm sure we can cut the cake without him?"

Kenta nodded reluctantly. Orihime smiled and kissed his forehead. "I know you wanted him to be here to see you make your wish, but… your father's a busy man."

Kenta kicked the dirt at his shoes, avoiding her eye. "Okay…"

"Everyone!" Orihime beamed up happily, "It's time to cut the cake!" The children quickly forgot the candy and ran to the bench table where the cake slices would be doled out.

Rukia handed her camera to her husband, Renji. "Okay, big smiles!" she said before hopping into the picture herself.

When they cut into the soccer shaped cake, Orihime was hoping for some reaction from him. She got nothing. "Wow! Chocolate!" She exclaimed. "It's your favorite flavor, right?"

Kenta furrowed his brow, a look she knew all too well. "Its dad's favorite too."

Orihime deflated. Why did he need to act so difficult today?! "Please… just smile." Orihime said as she handed Rukia's son, Sanji, a plate and he skipped away happily with his treat. "I know this is the third year he's missed-"

"It's like he's purposely avoiding me." Kenta snapped back in a low voice.

Orihime continued to slice the cake as if she hadn't heard the sharpness on his tongue. "We're not going to discuss this now. I know he wouldn't have wanted you to be upset today." She tried to sound convincing, but she could still see the heavy doubt in his eyes. "He really does love you."

"Yeah," Kenta rolled his eyes and shoved a fork full of cake in his mouth. "Right."

* * *

**Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 9:22:51 AM**

* * *

Kioko jumped down from the kitchen counter and lifted her lunchbox to her mother. "Here mommy, I finished the sandwiches."

"Thank you so much, baby." Orihime said distractedly. Her boss had texted her multiple times already due to her tardiness. She knew she was in for it the moment she'll step into the office.

"I cut the crust off." Kioko added.

"What did I say about using the knife?"

Kioko lifted her thick, dark eyebrows in defense and her silver eyes widened. "I didn't, I used the spoon!"

Orihime opened the lunch box and pulled the sandwich out of its baggy. The edges were all torn and rounded. There was no possible way the six year old could have gotten those results with a knife. "Fine, I believe you. Good job."

She twisted her daughter around and put the lunchbox in her _Abby Cadabby_ backpack. Her phone buzzed again and she fought the urge to curse out loud. "Kenta, I'll leave without you and you'll have to walk to school!"

"Mommy, I have the play on Monday…"

"Honey you tell me every day. I wrote in the calendar you gave me, and it's on my daily reminder." Orihime kissed her daughter's forehead. "I won't forget, I promise." Orihime shouted to the ceiling, knowing her son could hear her. "Kenta!"

"Will daddy come?"

Orihime looked up, shocked. She knew Kiki loved her father and missed him when he was gone, but she never knew she craved his presence- at least not in the manner Kenny craved him.

She glanced down at her watch. 9:27. "Ken-"

"I'm right here…" a voice said behind her.

Kioko lifted his lunchbox. "Kenny, I made your sandwich!" Kenta took the bag and glanced in side. "PB&J. Again?!"

Orihime took the sandwich, placed it in his bookbag and zipped him up. "Your sister made it, you should be proud." The mother daren't look at the clock and handed her son his soccer duffel bag. "Let's go, I'm late!"

Orihime ushered the children out the door and locked it behind her.

"Daddy!" she heard Kenta and Kioko shout in unison.

Orihime groaned. She hoped their screams were a figment of her tired imagination. She stayed up all night working on a report for her boss and now she was going to show up to work tired and late. The last thing she wanted was to deal with her ex-husband.

But sure enough, Orihime turned to see her children running up to their father who leaning against his black car.

Orihime shook her head. _Oh you're going to get it this time_, she thought.

"Hey!" Keitaro scooped Kioko up in his arms. "Oh, you're getting so big!" He planted kisses all over her face as she squealed and giggled. "And you! Big, strong man now!" The man said as he lowered the girl onto the ground. His father squeezed his shoulder and feigned shock at his muscle. Kenta blushed but stood a little taller.

There was something about his dad. Kenta knew-he just knew- that he wanted to be just like him. He was a cop, a law enforcer, but he was cool, and confident. He was a leader. He was everything he wanted to be and more, and Kenta couldn't help but look up in awe at the man he wished to become.

Keitaro ruffled his son's hair. "I got a surprise for you! Get in the car, the both of you!"

Orihime blew her bangs out of her eyes. It was always tiresome dealing with him. "Um, Keitaro… what are you doing?"

The ex-husband grinned. "It's nice to see you too."

He pushed his hands in his pockets and smiled down at her. She always felt short compared to his six foot frame and dark hair. She was obviously pissed but he continued to smile.

"They have school! And you're two days too late." She added the last part in a lower voice.

It was just like him to pull a stunt like this. Sure, Orihime didn't mind the extravagant adventures and fun road trips. She didn't mind that he wanted to spend time with his children, but why couldn't they happen on the correct day at the correct time.

"Let me make it up to him." And in an even lower voice he added, "...to the both of you." Keitaro watched her suck in a sharp breath and glance at the giddy children in the car. He knew he had her then.

"Get in the car."

* * *

**Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 11:15:21 AM**

* * *

Kioko placed her Barbie on the floor in complete boredom. "Are we there yet?" Kioko asked. Orihime was surprised the six year old had lasted that long before asking that dreaded question.

"Not yet, honey-bunny." Keitaro responded quickly.

"Well… When…?"

Orihime laughed at Kioko's question. She was an inquisitive little girl, and once she started talking, it was hard to get her to stop.

"Well…," Keitaro pointed out the window, "why don't you look out the window, right… there?!"

Kenta and Kioko both strained against their seatbelts to see the billboard out the window.

Kenta's eyes drew big. "Whoa! Are we going…? Are we going… are we…? Yes!" Kiki squealed, influenced by her brother's excitement. "Wahoo!"

A giant billboard of children splashing in a giant pool and a large rollercoaster behind them passed them by. The children shouted and squealed.

Keitaro laughed along with them. "I knew you'd like it!" He turned around to look at his son. "Plus, it's during a week day, so all the lines are short!"

"Score!"

Orihime had to say, she was thoroughly impressed. Normally it was a fishing trip or baseball game, but this one topped them all. Kenta's head looked as if it was going to explode. Each line was shortened to about a two minute wait, while others were completely empty which allowed Kenta and Keitaro to just hoop right own with the exception of a few others.

Kiki was happy riding the spinning teapots and carousels until purple. For a six year old, she stressed a lot, so it was uplifting for Orihime to see her filled with complete joy.

"And, and that drop was like 'whoosh', and then we went up and plummeted down like 'bam', and it was so fast!" Kenta took a bite out of his pizza and swallowed without chewing. "It was amazing; mom should have gotten on it!"

The family had sat down under umbrella table to eat lunch. They'd been here for two hours and the boys still hadn't gone on all the rides yet.

Orihime handed her son a napkin to wipe the pizza sauce off his face. "I don't think I like this ride very much…"

Before he could grab the napkin, he involuntary wiped his face with his sleeve. Orihime sighed. She's completely given up on keeping his face clean.

"I'm surprise the champ isn't sick yet." Keitaro crouched down in his chair and looked suspiciously around the food stations before whispering into his son's ear: "Better chew your pizza or you'll vomit chunks."

"Whoa… cool!" Kenta's blue eyes widened. "What if I vomit on the ride, and I blow chunks all over the people behind me!"

"Kenny!" the thirty-one year old mother exclaimed.

"What'd I do?!"

Orihime opened her mouth to reprimand him but her phone vibrated again. Her boss was going to kill her.

"Mom, can I get on that one right there?" Kenta asked, pointing to a nearby rollercoaster.

Orihime didn't look up from her phone. "Um… finish your food first…"

"But I'm done," Kenta grumbled. He hated when she stuck her face in her phone. She never paid attention to what he wanted.

"Hey," Keitaro pointed to the rollercoaster a few feet away. "Why don't you take your sister and get on that ride right there."

Kenta looked over at the tiny red and green rollercoaster. It moved slow and had weak inclines and slopes. "But it's for babies!"

"Skedaddle kid." He handed his sister over to him. "And hold hands!"

When Orihime looked up from her phone, the table was cleared and the kids were gone. She wanted to ask what happened, but Keitaro took her hand and led her away from the table.

"Keit-"

"How have you been?" Keitaro asked, cutting her off.

Orihime looked down at their hands and then up to his face. From down below, she could only see his squared jaw line and dimples as he smirked.

"I'm… fine."

"Who keeps texting you?" He led them to a bench near the ride their children were on.

The woman sighed. "My boss… he's pretty upset that I called out sick."

Keitaro lifted a thick brow before staring off at the tiny rollercoaster.

Orihime had to admit, the thirty-two year old was in impeccable shape. He looked good... and he seemed to have been doing much better since their divorce five years ago

"How have you really been?"

Orihime pushed a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. "I've been better."

"I want us to relax as a family." Keitaro reached over her and slipped the phone out of her hands. "And that would mean no more…" He quickly opened her phone and zipped through the password lock which was 2345 and opened her messages "… Uryū Ishida."

Orihime resisted the urge to smile. "Fine. Can have my phone back?"

A thick brow lifted. "Are you seeing him?"

It was a question he asked every time he saw her. Whether it was the guy at the supermarket who said hello to her everyday or the assistant at the gas station, he was always suspicious.

She never asked him if he was seeing anyone for, well, two reasons. One, have you seen this man? He looked like a Greek God. And two, she really didn't want to know who was sleeping in his bed with him. Besides, once in a blue moon, when they haven't seen each other in a while, the two would hook up now and then. But Orihime knew their tryst weren't permanent. She made the mistake of being with him once and couldn't see herself doing it again… well maybe she did. Either way, the sex was _always_ satisfying. It was the aftermath and the drama that trailed him that sucked.

"What? No." She stuck out her hand. "Give it back please."

Keitaro shook his head. "Nope, you have to be nice."

"I said please!" He tapped the side of his scruffy cheek, indicating a kiss. Orihime laughed. "Come on, stop playing games."

He lifted his long arm in the air and she had to climb on him to reach. "Keitaro, give it back!"

"No! Now your punishment has double!" He switched hands, avoiding her tiny grasps. "I want a kiss on both cheeks!" he continued evilly.

Orihime huffed, grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him hard on the mouth.

It wasn't anything sexual- at first- she was just giving him what he wanted… right? But the longer her lips were on his, the more she realized she liked it. She _really_ liked it.

This wasn't a kiss to quickly satisfy their needs. This was a real kiss, or at least it turned into a real kiss when Keitaro slipped his tongue inside her mouth.

"Daddy, daddy!" Kioko ran over, her pigtails bouncing wildly behind her, Kenta was hot on her trail. "Can I have some cotton candy?!"

The duo broke apart and Orihime was quickly sitting on the bench and Keitaro was tugging at his shirt as if nothing every happened.

Keitaro recovered quicker than her. "Sure, anything for my honey-bunny." Her hoisted his daughter up on his shoulder and walked over to the nearest vendor before Orihime could say another word.

* * *

**Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 9:32:34 PM**

* * *

"That was the best birthday present ever…"

After the long trip at the amusement park, Keitaro took them to a nearby boardwalk where they ate dinner and saw movie. Orihime wouldn't be able to tell you what it was about, her mind continued to drift in and out of the big screen the way Keitaro's hand drifted in and out of her hair.

Orihime ruffled Kenta's black curly hair. "Yeah, well, get upstairs, you're going to school in the morning."

Keitaro carried in a sleeping Kioko and tucked her in upstairs. It was rare he ever got to do this. When they divorced, Orihime took the kids and this went without saying. It wasn't that he didn't fight for them; he just knew he'd lose.

Besides, he would come around as often as he could. And he paid for some household expenses and maintenances and other cost when needed, no questions asked, especially since she didn't ask for alimony.

Keitaro silently closed Kioko's door behind him. "Keitaro… thank you. I know Kenta enjoyed himself."

Keitaro smiled his dimply smile. "I'm happy to know he did."

He pulled out her phone from his pocket, leaned in and kissed her cheek before going down the rickety, old steps. She'd be lying if she said her heart didn't flutter for a second.

So, she called after him before he could leave. "It's _really_ late and I don't want you driving in the dark."

Keitaro watched her walk down the narrow staircase. "Now you care about my wellbeing?" He caught a whiff of her scent as she brushed past him. It's been driving him crazy all day. "I can recall you saying- no, shouting- that I get hit by a car."

"I was in the heat of the moment." Orihime locked the front door. "We still have some cake left. It's chocolate. Want some?"

Keitaro smirked, knowing where this would possibly lead. "If it's chocolate then I don't really have a choice."

"Here you go." Orihime sat a plate down in front of him and watched him take a bite. "You like it?"

"Love it." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I wish I had some when it was fresh."

Orihime had done this song and dance before. Most times they'd just head right to the bedroom or the floor- which ever was closer. But this time… she was unsure. She didn't want this to be a selfish; self-satisfying thing… she actually wanted this to be a… romantic thing.

"Um… I have a bottle of chardonnay that I haven't opened yet…" She walked over to the top cabinet and pulled out the bottle of white wine. "You're the expert on alcohol so I guess I should get an expert's opinion."

"I'm hardly an expert- not like my father." Keitaro watched her pour into two cups and took a small sip. He sat up a little straighter and puffed his chest up. "Hmm… In my expert opinion, I can detective sharp fruity flavors with an oaky tang- no, wait! An oaky flavor and a fruity tang." He took a long sniff making Orihime giggle. "Oh, and a hint of musk."

The two adults erupted in laughter over his impersonation. How good it felt to feel normal around him again, Orihime thought. She liked it best when they both acted like their naturally goofy selves, like they were kids again.

But after the laughing died down, it was silent again. And she was afraid to make eye contact again. And he was afraid to pick up the cup and take another sip because too much has happened between then when he was in a less then sober state.

And if anything were to happen next, he wanted to be awake for it.

For the life of her, Orihime didn't understand what happened next. She didn't know who made the first move, but their lips were touching, tasting. Their hands were groping, searching.

He was unbuttoning her blouse and she was peeling off his shirt. All in one move, Keitaro managed to hoist Orihime onto his lap, stand and bush her back up against the kitchen wall all in one swift move.

Keitaro broke off their kiss. "Stop," he began breathlessly.

Orihime stopped trying to unbutton his jeans and lifted a brow. "What? Why?"

He eased her back on the floor and looked down at her. "I… I have work in the morn-"

"Oh, please." Orihime smirked and kissed his bottom lip since it was the only one she could reach. "Come up with a better excuse," she begged. If they weren't going to do this- if he wanted to stop her- she wanted a legitimate reason to. A reason that would bring her to her senses even though she never this adventure would bring nothing but pain when the smoke cleared.

Keitaro bent down to her level to kiss her full on the lips and wrap one leg around his waist before hoisting her back up. "I'll have a horrible hangover…" he said between hungry kisses.

"You only had one drink…" Orihime argued. Her heart beat faster when he managed to push her panties to the side. Orihime let her head fall back and moaned and Keitaro leaned his head against the wall as he eased himself inside. Both took a moment to completely feel one another, inside and out.

Keitaro cussed before daring to move again. "You want me to get hit by a car," he said jokingly before giving one big thrust.

"Minor details!" Orihime squeaked as she was filled to the hilt. She just prayed to God or to whoever was up there that one of her kids didn't come down now to ask for chocolate milk or a cookie.

The man pressed her other leg up to his waist since her short frame hindered him from completely feeling her. He continued to press into her, making her walls silkier and tighter as he went.

Orihime moaned his name and pressed her hand against his chest, almost trying to pry him off. Keitaro grabbed her ass cheeks to better balance her around his waist and to better his angle. Orihime knew he was a selfish lover, so she hit him hard on the shoulder for him to finally pay attention.

"What now?" he groaned, slowing the pace but never stopping.

The woman wiped the sweat from his dark brow. "I have a bed you know…"

As silently as two aroused adults could, they ran up the narrow staircase, giggling like high schoolers with naughty intentions.

Orihime closed the door behind them and did away with the rest of their clothes which included his jeans and opened undershirt and her skirt and bra and panties.

Keitaro attacked her with intent in his eyes. He wouldn't let her get away or say another word unless it was his name and his name only. He was serious and wasted no time pinning her down and continuing what was started down stairs.

Keitaro stopped and stared down at her. His hand slipped through her sunset hair and behind her head for support as he bent down and kissed her deeply. His tongue lightly played with hers and swept through her whole mouth. He even went on to lightly nibble on her bottom lip, which was already swollen and plump enough. Orihime moaned into him and he responded by slowly grinding his hips into hers in a ripple like movement, slowly pushing himself in and out and back in again- driving her crazy.

Her body became more serpent-like, bending and arching to fit his body. It all seemed to fit into place as if they were puzzle pieces connecting perfectly into each other.

He didn't stop kissing her as his other hand slipped down between their bodies and found a home to play in. Her breath hitched and without missing a beat, his mouth moved down her jaw and to the crook of her neck.

Orihime could hear his chortle against her skin on her neck as his hand continued to flip and massage her moist folds. The woman's legs tightened around his waist and her hips involuntarily bucked, giving him a better angle and pushing him in deeper.

They both knew better then to make any noise, but a spontaneous groan or mewl placed their tryst at risk making the game more dangerous and exciting. It became his mission to make her say his name again.

His grinding came quicker now, and so did his breath. Orihime bit her lip and turned her head into her pillow to keep her moaning muzzled.

His thrust slowed for a moment and both of his arms snaked around her torso, bringing bodies together, moving in unison like an ocean's wave.

Orihime slid her hands up his back and hooked her hands around his shoulders. Feeling his hot, straggling breath against her neck turned her on, making her breast swell even more between them.

Keitaro sat up on his knees, bringing her on his lap.

She could feel the blood pumping through her veins as he grabbed her bottom and began bouncing her up and down.

Orihime bit down on the urge to scream at his new angle of penetration. Keitaro freed a low, feral growl into her skin as he slowly lowered her down on his lap.

Sweat dripped down face and back.

One hand clawed into his back, the other in his dark hair.

He could feel his body readying itself for release. His hips bucked upward violently making her wince in pain. She felt her walls tighten once more around his twitching member. His body curled up into hers and he released a long moan into her skin. Orihime could his warm eruption running down her inner thighs. Her own soon followed.

She couldn't help the hazy feeling in her mind as her body began to feel heavier and heavier. His body was warmer than a blanket as she wrapped herself in him. Her hands roamed up and down his sweaty body, lightly caressing muscles here and there before stopping at his bullet wound on his lower torso. Orihime fingered the scar tissue before kissing whatever she could reach- his neck, his chest, his shoulder- and falling asleep in his arms.

* * *

**Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 6:42:29 AM**

* * *

His thumb stroked her cheek back and forth. His body still felt tired and heavy from the night before but also loose and light. Was that even possible?

Her lashes fluttered up and she smiled. "Hey…"

Keitaro kissed her lightly on the lips. "Hey."

It was warm there, wrapped up in his arms and legs. They slept on the opposite end of the bed, with their feet sprawled across the pillows. "So, breakfast?" Orihime asked as she reluctantly moved from his arms. "You can have your pick of waffles or pancakes." She turned her back to him and pulled a robe on over her exposed body. "You'll get a side of eggs if you're lucky."

Keitaro rolled out of bed and reached for his jeans. "Actually… I gotta head out."

Orihime paused. She turned to see him fastening his belt. "Keitaro… no…"

The man exhaled, knowing how the conversation would end. "Orihime…"

Orihime followed him out of the bedroom and down the narrow staircase. "At least be here when the kids wake up."

The man grabbed his shirt, jacket and keys from the kitchen floor without saying a word. It was suddenly cold and embarrassing, standing in the middle of the room with nothing but a robe on.

"You always do this..."

At least in past times, he had the decency to leave before she woke up.

This time, he couldn't even look at her.

Keitaro faced the door as he slipped his leather jacket on. "I'm not arguing with you right now. I get enough grief from you about the kids-"

"You always do this to me…" he voice squeaked.

His hand on the doorknob, he paused.

Orihime grabbed the sides of her robe, curling the fabric around in her fist. "…It's not fair."

She closed her eyes tightly, not knowing what would happen next… would he turn around and stay? Would he yell at her and leave…?

Between the closed lids and straggling breath, a tear squeezed out and a door closed shut.

* * *

**Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 2:36:01 PM**

* * *

"I can't believe you allowed yourself to fall for his antics again." Rukia shook her head. "He's such a pig."

Kioko squealed and the women looked over at the six year old chasing a more than terrified squirrel up a tree, Sanji followed close behind.

Orihime took a sip of her tea before putting it back down on the bench table. "It was different this time… he felt something too, I know he did."

Kioko hopped and skipped around the tiny backyard as Sanji watched in awe. Occasionally, she would bend down in her pink dress and find one or two old pieces of candy from her brother's birthday last week and shove them in her pocket. Orihime made a mental note of taking them out before she ate them.

"Oh he felt something alright."

Orihime turned back to her friend. "I just get too caught up in his… I don't know what it is about him." The mother relived the feeling of emptiness every time he left her like that.

Rukia poured herself and Orihime more tea in their cups. "I'll ask Renji to talk to him if you want me to."

Orihime pushed both hands through her auburn hair. "No… I just have to know better next time." Who was she fooling? She'd ignore him, give him the cold shoulder the next time she saw him, maybe prevent him from seeing the kids for a month or two. But really, it was up to him. Whether he felt in the mood or needed company, all he needed to do was schmooze her into getting exactly what he wanted from her.

She was no _easy_ girl. Men hit on her all the time and she didn't invite them to her bed. It was just _him_. She could never turn him down.

"That's what you say every time." The tiny woman added a few spoonfuls of sugar before stirring her tear and taking a sip. "Besides, you have bigger things to worry about besides your ex."

"You're right; I have other things to preoccupy my time. Kiki has a play on Monday- I think she's playing a bird or a… I don't know- and I have to pick Kenta up from soccer practice in an hour and I'm behind on all my work, my boss has been killing me all week." Orihime shook her head. "And… I think I forgot to pay one of the bills... I have to go check…"

Rukia nodded approvingly at her incompetence. "See, you're forgetting about him already!"

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 2:05:34 PM**

* * *

"So we went to the doctors and he said there wasn't anything actually wrong with either of us. So he gave her these drugs that'll make her… you know… more and it's supposed to help us get pregnant- hey man, are you listening?"

Keitaro blinked. "Huh?"

The dispatcher droned on and Renji adjusted the knob.

Renji cruised into a red light and lifted a brow. "Shit man… what's gotten in to ya?"

Keitaro rubbed his face. "Nothin', just tired, I guess."

Renji drove over to a gas station, parked the police car and unfastened his seat belt. "Want anything?"

Keitaro shook his head; he had much more on his mind besides food.

He felt absolutely sick from the day he left Orihime last week. He should had never left like that… he just didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. He didn't know what to do, so he left. He didn't know how he felt, so he…

Keitaro cussed. He knew how he felt. He still loved her and he still wanted her. So why didn't he just say it?

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he dialed Orihime's number. He waited and listened to Orihime's greeting, waiting for the beep.

"…"

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 2:07:58 PM**

* * *

Orihime pushed her files and folders down into her briefcase. She figured she'll just need to take her work home if she couldn't finish it here. She was too distracted, and knowing her, being home wouldn't help anyways.

"Orihime, where are you going?"

Orihime turned around to see one of her colleagues staring at her as she was heading out the door. "My daughter has a performance today…" "I thought I told everyone…"

Dan shook his head. "We have a meeting in the main office."

Orihime deflated. She hated meetings. Looking at boards and graphs, for what?! Her work was strong ethic hadn't changed in three years until recently; she understood how to do her job and knew her place. It the bigwigs up in corporate didn't crap on everyone else once in awhile, they wouldn't have so many issues in sales. "Can you just… Can you brief me afterwards?"

Dan shook his head again and pointed at the bulletin board to her right. "Ishida said it's very important. Didn't you get the memo on Tuesday?"

Orihime rolled her eyes. Of course he would issue an important meeting last Tuesday. She could tell where this was heading…

"Alright, but I can't stay long…"

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 2:11:18 PM**

* * *

Renji hopped back into the cop car, chewing on fresh gum and placing his coffee in the cup holder when the dispatcher informed them of a robbery nearby.

"We have a blue van with no license plate. He's on 44th and…"

"Damn," Renji said as he started the car. "Just when I thought today was going to be normal."

Keitaro buckled his seatbelt and smirked. "Renji, this _is_ normal."

**…**

Akina hopped from one foot to the other. "Are you excited!?"

Kioko nodded and grinned, her butterfly wings bobbing behind her. "My daddy's coming!" She said proudly. Somehow, the child had gotten into her head that Keitaro would show up. She hoped and prayed he would ever night and she was sure that it would work.

**…**

"His speed is approaching seventy…" Renji said into the mic, feeding information to the person on the other line. "Traffic is moderate, he's northbound."

The siren was warning enough for bystanders to move their cars to the sides of the road. The suspects used them to his advantage by swerving and moving in complicated patterns around them.

"He's still northbound and heading towards the freeway."

Renji slowed in order to have more control over the wheel. "Shit, he's determined." The last thing he needed was a civilian death.

Keitaro nodded. "Aren't they all."

The dangerous suspect turned from the wheel and fired. "Fuck!" Renji kept straight. "He is armed; he just shot through the back window. I repeat he's armed."

**…**

Akina twirled in her larva suit. "My mommy's coming! She brought us cookies!"

All of the kindergartens seemed to scream in excitement at the announcement.

**…**

Keitaro took over the mic as Renji focused on "His speed is approaching ninety…"

Renji swerved as the suspect took another shoot.

**…**

"Children!" Mrs. Noto clapped her hands and they all got quieter. "Get into formation, hurry!"

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 2:27:24 PM**

* * *

Ida finished explaining his last slide before looking over at his boss. "I think that about covers this presentation… Ishida-san?"

Ishida nodded his head. "No, that about wraps it up. You're all dismissed."

Orihime breathed a sigh of relief that the stuffy meeting room doors had opened and everyone was filing out. She badly needed to text Rukia and tell her she was running late, but Orihime knew that if she made one move in the horrid room, that Ishida would be on her before she could press send.

"Inoue."

Before Orihime could leave, Ishida was summoning her into his office. He waited until she was inside before he slowly closed the door.

"We never discussed your absence on Tuesday." He said as he made his way around to his desk.

Orihime dreaded this room. His office held a bad memory that neither cared to remember. Whatever happened in here, neither asked or talked about it again. And it's been awkward since.

Orihime sat in the chair in front of him. "I know, I'm sorry." She licked her lips, a trait she normally did when she lied. "Family issues can up, it was last minute and it won't happen again, I swear."

Ishida looked at her long and hard. He adjusted his glasses before scribbling something down on a pad. "Fine, you're dismissed."

Orihime concealed her smile. "Thank you…" She could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of her head as she walked out the office.

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 2:15:03 PM**

* * *

The children filed out on the stage in their various customs. Sanji was on the other end, dressed as a leaf with a few others, a couple more were dressed a larva, along with Akina, and

Mrs. Noto stood before the class and raised her hands. Kioko looked around the auditorium excitedly. Though it was dark, she knew if she looked hard enough she could see her mother's wild red hair… or her father's height… or her brother messy dark head… or…

The others began to sing in, what was almost, unison.

"I start from the beginning and end at the end…"

**…**

"Where the hell is that roadblock?" Keitaro demanded into the mic.

The dispatcher droned on about it being a few ways away.

The blue van took a left onto dry land. From the back seat, another head came up with a shot gun, pointing it through the back window, and shot.

"Fuck," they missed the window but it ricochet off the bumper. More police vehicles were here now, also pursing the suspects. "There's two of them." "They're heading off-road, towards the marsh."

**…**

"When I am an egg, I sleep in my bed…"

**…**

The suspect changed guns since his shotgun was ineffective. The blue van began to change directions.

"He's heading back, he's eastbound." Keitaro cussed. "Move that roadblock, asap."

Keitaro knew he'd get away if something wasn't done. Where was everyone's mind at today? "You have to intervene…"

Renji shook his head. "I don't have enough room."

"If you don't fucking do it, I will."

Renji knew Keitaro was serious, but he also knew he was wrong and it was dangerous. The outcome would be detrimental to both parties and the rest of the vehicles behind them, but Renji sped up; ramming his bumper into the corner of the van's wheel, bring the van into a tailspin and accidently slamming into another police vehicle.

"When I wake up, I do the larva dance and eat the leaves until I get fat…"

Renji slammed his foot on the breaks. "Shit man, I'm not going down for this!"

"When I get fat, I make a little home, where I sleep in a cocoon dome…"

Renji, Keitaro got out of their cars, along with others. It was easier to arrest suspects when they were in their car then out. The duo climb out of their sideways van, holding their money filled bags and guns in each hand.

**…**

"And when I wake up, I spread my wings and lay eggs in the trees!"

**…**

Keitaro drew his gun.

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 3:24:00 PM**

* * *

Orihime pushed her hands through her hair and continued typing. Her job was stressful enough as is, but with the added pressure of Ishida's disapproval made the job that much harder.

She took a sip of her water and blew out hot air. She smiled at all the pictures on her desk. A few toothless grins from her babies Kioko and Kenta and goofy moments only a camera could capture. She also foolishly kept an old Polaroid of her and Keitaro in her desk.

She opened drawer and pulled it out. It was her, much younger, less stressful, and much happier. She remembered Keitaro snapping the picture himself as he surprisingly kissed her on the cheek.

Orihime smiled. Her eyes were closed and she had the biggest grin on her face. Oh how she wished she could go back… back to before reality made her fantasies come crumbling down.

She placed the photo back in its home and looked at the computer clock. 12:26. "Oh shot!" Kioko's spelling bee began an hour ago and was surely over by now. The mother knew calling out for an hour was out of the question, so maybe she could call the school and ask how her daughter had done.

It was then she remembered her phone was vibrating in the meeting. Orihime pulled it out of her pocket and clicked on the first voicemail and brought the phone to her ear.

"_Hey… it's me, Sano- well, Keitaro. Keitaro Sano… ah…it's me, huh. Um…"_

Orihime chuckled at his goofiness.

" _I've… I have been thinking, and… I want to come back. I want to come back home and be with you and the kids…"_

She couldn't believe her ears. Did he just say he wanted to come back?

Orihime couldn't help the tears that began to wield in her eyes. But while she was listening to the message, two men entered the office, dressed in the proper law enforcement attire; the first one stopped a nearby employee.

"Where looking for Inoue, Orihime…"

The woman looked up from her paperwork and pointed to the redheaded woman. "She's right there…"

Orihime didn't need to finish the message. The answer was yes, he could come back- and no one would judge him, no one would blame him. She just wanted him back.

Orihime turned around in her chair but two men looming over her stopped her in her tracks.

Orihime was an LEO- law enforcement officer-'s wife before. She knew what it meant when fellow officers were knocking at your door. Either your significant other was badly injured or… worse. A wife always hoped for the former.

"Um…" Orihime squeezed her phone tighter, still hearing the faint buzz of Keitaro's voice in the message, "…can I help you?"

"Ma'am, are you Inoue, Orihime?"

Orihime slowly nodded. The blood began to rush to her ears and the color drained from her face.

The cops took their hats. "We're here on the behalf of your ex-husband…"

Her throat swelled.

"…to regretfully inform you…"

Her fingers became numb.

"…of the events this afternoon…"

The phone slipped from her grasp.

Keitaro was dead.

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 2:05:34 PM**

* * *

"_Hi, this is Orihime Inoue! I'm not here right now so please leave a message at the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"_

_Beep._

"_Hey… it's me, Sano- well, Keitaro. Keitaro Sano… ah…it's me, huh. Um, I've… I have been thinking, and… I want to come back. I want to come back home and be with you and the kids. I haven't made the best decisions- and I know that. But you're right. I haven't been fair. I know… we- it's…um… Huh, this is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be… I. I just want things back to the way they were- but this time it'll be better. It'll be much much better. I'll be much much better. I wanna make this work. I'll do right by you and the children. I _promise_… I lov-"_

_Click._

* * *

**This was exciting! I hope the ending didn't make too many of you upset, although the beginning is a **_**dead**_** giveaway. And what did you think about the lemon? I'll admit I still have a lot to work on so tell what you thought of it.**

**I can't tell ya'll when the next chapter will be up, but just stay tuned!**

**Rocka.**

**P.S. Thank you LuvleeCookieChan for proofreading and beta'ing! She IS the bee's knees!**


	2. Denial

**A/N:** Who's ready for round 2?! Thank you for the warm welcomes back and the positive reviews, I was so excited to begin this project and to see it come alive and for everyone to enjoy it just gives me an amazing drive to continue writing. Stay awesome!

**Disclaimer:** Bleach characters belong to the man who owns Bleach. Curse you Kubo!

Chapter 2: Denial

* * *

**Day: Unknown. Time: Unknown.**

* * *

Sitting there was like sitting on a display. They were three dolls dressed in black, propped up in a perpetual state of despair and longing.

Being too fidgety meant you didn't care.

Being too sad was melodramatic.

Being stoic seemed right. Her legs were crossed, hands in her lap. Kioko and Kenta sat on either side of her, heads hung low.

Each condolence whizzed by like bullet from a barrel.

"…_Is there anything I do for you?"_

"_I hate that this happened to you..."_

"_This must be terribly hard for you and the kids…"_

"_..You know I'm just a phone call away."_

"_How sad... You and the children are in my prayers. God bless..."_

"_Please, don't hesitant to talk. I'm here anytime you need me…"_

"…_My sincere apologies."_

"_I can't imagine what you're going through..."_

"…_If you need a break from the kids, I'll be glad to take them."_

"He did a great service to our community. Your husband was a great man…"

Orihime blinked. "…what?"

Kioko stood in her bedroom doorway. "Mommy… can I sleep in here with you?"

Orihime rubbed her hand over her face. She could hear the low drone of the television. She turned to the bedside clock. It read 11:47. It was Sunday. A day after the funeral.

Orihime pushed her hair out of her face. "Come here." The six year old hopped under the covers and cuddled there next to her mother. "Having trouble sleeping?" Kioko nodded. "Well that makes two of us."

Kioko played with her mother's orange waves, wrapping them around her own dark strands of hair. "Do you think he can see me dance?"

Orihime sighed. "Kioko… how…?"

"In heaven?"

Kioko never ceased to amaze her. Orihime's breath caught. She had never explained the concept of life, death, and heaven to Kioko. Kenta, yes, once, when he saw road kill during a walk from the park. But Kioko, she was so sweet and innocent that she never once seemed to care where past souls went. She was always capable of making new friends and her own fun to worry about death and such.

"Do you think he can watch me dance from heaven?" Kioko continued.

Orihime turned the channel to a more suitable program. She stopped at a channel that hosted old cartoons. "Yes, Kiki," the rabbit dodge another quick death by tricking the hunter into believing it was duck season. "He will see you dance in heaven."

11:53.

Everyday… everyday it felt like she was floating further and further away from him. She refused to look at him as the casket lowered. Watching him leave, acknowledging his death… she'd break down. And she needed to stay strong for Kenta and Kioko.

11:58. Kioko's eyes were becoming heavy. She didn't try to fight it.

Orihime expected nothing less from their reactions of the news. It only reiterated her reasons for staying tough. No one would be strong for them. It was her job, as their mother, it was up to her to show them that life went on and it was important not to dwell…

"Mommy…" Kioko whispered softly. "Can you sing me the song…?"

Orihime pushed her hands through her daughter's silky dark hair. "I don't know all the words… How about I hum it?"

Kioko responded with a soft purr of approval.

The mother began the humming the melody to _Over The Rainbow_, a song both of her children seemed to enjoyed. So she hummed, and hummed until her daughter fell asleep in her arms.

* * *

**Monday, April 16, 2012 at 3:55:17 PM**

* * *

Orihime inhaled, open mouthed. It was hard. It was hard to remove her hands from the stirring wheel. It was hard to un-grip her fingers and place the car into park. But she did, and she got out of the car.

Piles of parents and first graders stood outside of the auditorium. Rukia's tiny frame walked out, holding the hands of both Sanji, dressed as a half bitten leaf, and Kioko, a butterfly. Orihime was very grateful for she wasn't sure if he knees would carry her to the front door. "Orihime, I got the call. I'm so sorry." Rukia said as she approached her best friend and handed Kioko over to her mother. "I called and said I'd pick up the kids for you."

The mother pushed both hands through her orangey hair. "No, I, um… I wanted to tell them myself."

Kioko tugged on the side of her mother's skirt, looking for her attention. Sanji, the leaf, watched the exchange passively; with his right thumb in his mouth- a habit Rukia was in the process of breaking.

Orihime bent down to her daughter's height. "Hi baby!" Kioko giggled when her mother tickled under her chin. "How was it?"

But her smile faltered. "I didn't see you... or daddy…"

"I'm sorry I missed it… Oh, but you're such a beautiful butterfly, baby..."

Small, uncontrollable, tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Kioko asked, touching one curiously.

It was then Orihime knew she probably looked a mess. She'd already rubbed her eyes and nose until they were sore and red, and had run her hands through her hair a thousand times, a nervous habit of hers. But she smiled at her daughter anyway, and kissed her round, pink, cheek.

Rukia touched her arm as she stood. "Orihime, do you want me to come home with you, I can help with anything."

"No…" Orihime looked around the parking lot. The performance was over. Many parents were leaving to go back home or back to work. Orihime glanced at her watch. 4:23. Kenta was at soccer practice. "… it might be best if you just give us a day, maybe?"

Rukia walked her back to her car silently, not actually knowing what to say. As her best friend she found it her duty to make sure she was okay, especially in a time of need like this. She knew Orihime would do the same.

"Do you need me to drive?" Rukia asked. Orihime was in no condition to be behind the wheel. Her eyes… there was something wrong, anyone could see that. And it just made her wonder… with Renji in the same profession, this-that _look_- could be worn on her face on day.

Orihime finished strapping down Kioko to her booster seat. "No, I'll be fine…" Orihime smiled, thanked her friend, promising to call her later before driving off.

Orihime inhaled. How… just how do you explain…? As she drove nearer and nearer to Kenta's soccer field, her throat began to swell up. "Hey sweetie… What do you want for dinner?"

"PB&J!" Kioko squealed, causing her signature pigtails to bob about beside her.

"Okay," Orihime exhaled. "We can do that."

The duo waited in the car parking lot for a few minutes before practice ended. Her son waved to a few friends before running up to the car and hopping in the passenger seat.

Orihime threw on a brave smile. "Kenta! How was your day?"

"I got this scrape!" The eleven year old lifted his leg and pointed to the long, thin cut under his knee. He grinned proudly. "See?!"

"Mmhmm!" The mother drove off from the field and waited until she was down the road before starting up. "I was just asking your sister what she wanted for dinner… what about you? Huh?"

Kenta lifted a suspicious brow. "Anything?"

"Anything." She repeated.

"Like… ice cream?"

Orihime laughed. "Yes! Yes, like ice cream!"

Kenta thrust his fist into the air in front of him. "Score!"

The trio stopped at a nearby supermarket. Orihime and Kioko took one cart and Kenta took another, filling in with what they wanted to eat for dinner. French toast, _Twizzlers_, rocky road, PB&J, lasagna, hot dogs, marshmallows, _Oreos_, macaroni and cheese- all of it. Orihime should have relished seeing the pure joy and excitement on their faces. But she knew it wouldn't last long and the news would come soon; bringing their highs all the way down.

Kioko placed crumbled Oreos in her PB&J sandwich. The jelly slid out from the bottom when she bit into it, but the six year old didn't mind. The fact that she was able to decide her own dinner was enough to make her happy for a week.

Kenta took a different approach, beginning with dessert and then moving on to the meat. He had already finish a bowl of rocky road and made his way to the lasagna and mac and cheese.

"Kids… I have something to tell you…" Orihime looked down at her empty plate. "It's about your father…"

Kioko stopped her chewing and took a sip of juice. Her chubby cheeks were covered in peanut butter. "He said he was coming to my play…"

"Baby… something happened today and…" She shook her head. She just needed to rip it off like a band-aid. "And it resulted in him not being there."

"What are talking about?" Orihime looked over at her son. His thick eyebrows pulled together, much like his father.

The mother pushed loose hairs behind her ears. "Your father was hurt… badly…" she whispered, looking at one curious face to the next. "…and he died."

The room grew silent. The mother was afraid to look up, to look at her children. She felt so guilty for causing them such distress, such pain. She didn't want to be the one, but she had to be the only one who could tell them such news.

"But… my play…" Kioko whispered.

Kenta threw his fist down on the table, causing everything to shake. "Our dad is dead and all you can think about is some dumb play?!"

"Kenta!"

"Is that why you have us eating all this junk?" The eleven year old flipped over his plate and stood up. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Kioko burst into tears, whining loudly.

"Why!" Kenta yelled once more. He rubbed his eyes, feeling tears coming on. "…" Kenta turned and ran out the room.

Kioko sniffled, looking up to her mother. "W-why is K-Kenny mad at m-me?"

Orihime grabbed her daughter, pulling her in and hugging her tightly. "He's not mad at you, baby. He's just very sad…"

Kioko hid her face in her mother's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "What did I do?"

"It's not your fault, Kiki." Orihime kissed her on her forehead, soothing her. "You did nothing wrong..."

* * *

**Monday, April 23, 2012 at 5:08:51 PM**

* * *

"Ms. Inoue… I highly doubt you'll receive all of his social security benefits since you've been divorced from him for… four years, now."

Orihime rubbed at her temples. Hours ago she was laying quietly in her bed with her daughter, now, she was once again spun into a web of finances and benefits… why couldn't she just be left alone?"

"Now about that pension…"

The mother squeezed her eyes shut. "Please, can we take a break?"

"Orihime," Tatsuki started, "its better if we deal with this now."

"Can I just have a second to breathe?"

"Of course…" Her lawyer cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "Ms. Inoue, I believe it's best if I come back tomorrow, when we're all refreshed."

Tatsuki lead the lawyer out, apologizing for his time. "It's really just a tough time right now…" Tatsuki supposed, hoping to provide an adequate excuse for Orihime's behavior.

"It's fine. Many widows go through this stunt." His glanced down at his ringing phone before continuing. "I just don't want any insurance companies swindling her."

Tatsuki made it back to the kitchen. Orihime still sat in a kitchen chair, facing the window to the backyard.

"Here," Tatsuki placed a glass of water in front of her. "You haven't eaten anything in days."

Orihime shrugged and looked out the kitchen window. "Not hungry…"

"Orihime, Keitaro is-"

"Have spoken with your mother?" Orihime said slowly, in deadpan voice.

Tatsuki folded her arms. As Keitaro's sister, she knew the… issues he and their parents went through. Orihime didn't want to believe their problems stemmed from her- and they didn't- the family feud went way beyond her and her children.

"The bitch didn't show up to his funeral… she should be dealing with all this shit. Not you."

Orihime shrugged again. "That's what happens when you're disowned…"

"Mommy…," Both women looked over at the doorway. Kioko leaned against the frame, rubbing her stomach. "My belly hurts."

Her mother sighed, exasperated. "Kioko, I already gave you your medicine."

Kioko shook her head. "…But it still hurts…"

Orihime stood and lead her daughter out of the room.

Tatsuki placed her hands on her hips. She was running away again. For as long as she's known her brother's ex-wife, she had always run away from conflict.

The short haired woman checked the refrigerator for dinner. They had cooked meals from neighbors and friends that would last them for weeks.

"I guess its meatloaf again, tonight." Tatsuki placed the pan into the oven and turned to see an empty table and chairs. "If anyone will bother to eat, anyway…"

* * *

**Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 9:38:04 PM**

* * *

Orihime walked by so fast she didn't notice her at first. But who could ignore those large gray eyes that reflected off everything and everyone.

"Kioko, what are you still doing up?"

Her and aunt were sitting on the couch as if was a lazy afternoon on the weekend. There was work to be done, school work to be finished... the multiple cups of coffee she had throughout the day hadn't provided the solace she craved.

Kioko blinked slowly. "My belly hurts."

Orihime shifted a pile of papers from one arm to the other. "You have school in the morning!"

"But I can't go to sleep!" Kioko whined.

Tatsuki sat up, helping Kioko up too. "Orihime, she doesn't have to go back to school just yet."

"They are my children and I'll raise them however I want."

Tatsuki placed her hands on her hips. It was going to be one of _those_ battles, huh? "You've hardly been raising them at all."

Orihime could feel her cheeks getting hot. She pointed at the ceiling and told Kioko to go to her room before storming into the kitchen.

"Orihime, I know what you're doing…" Tatsuki said trailing behind her. "You're ignoring it."

Orihime pushed her hair back, frustrated. "Ignoring what?!"

Tatsuki waved her hands around. "Ignoring everything!" Orihime poured herself another cup of coffee, shaking her head to her sister-in-law's reasoning. "You're sheltering out everything and anything that has to do with _him_."

The mother winced.

"Kioko's stomachache is her telling you she's hurting emotionally. And Kenta… Kenta hasn't left his room in days." How could she be so blind? This… this isn't dealing with it. Being in denial won't help. This… "What are you doing?"

Orihime sat down, sorting out her papers. "I have to finish this report."

Tatsuki stared at the mother as she opened her laptop. "But you're on leave," she stated incredulously.

"I called my co-worker and she dropped it off." Orihime sipped her coffee and rubbed her tired eyes. "I have to finish it. My boss wouldn't care if I was strapped to an IV on life-support."

"You might as well be." Tatsuki shouted. She slammed Orihime's laptop shut and continued. "I know you are hurting. I know it's killing you inside. But he was my brother too… You just have to face the fact that-"

"Tatsuki!" Orihime yelled before she could finish. She just wanted her to stop. She wanted her to stop and go away and to never bring him up again. "I have to finish this."

The dark haired woman gave up. It was obvious her mindset wasn't going to budge. Tatsuki would just have to budge harder. But as she looked down at her sister-in-law, with her disheveled auburn hair, and wide, tired eyes… she knew now was not the time.

"Fine." Tatsuki said and left her to her work. She checked on her niece, making sure her face was washed and her teeth were brushed.

"How does your stomach feel?" Kioko's aunt asked as she helped tuck her into bed.

Kioko shook her head. "Not so good..." the six year old droned.

"You know, Kiki," Tatsuki started as she sat on the edge of her bed, "it's okay to feel upset or sad… or even angry." She played with a ear of a teddy bear before continuing. "When my father passed away, I cried for days."

And she did- no thanks to her mother, who was absolutely impossible. All she cared about was the estate and which family member received what amount of money from his will. Keitaro got nothing.`

"So if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here, okay?" Tatsuki waited until the child nodded before tickling her under her chubby chin. She giggled a little before heading towards her lamp.

Kioko pulled down her blanket. "Wait!" She shouted. "…I don't like the dark."

Tatsuki smiled. "I'll leave the hallway light on then, okay?"Kioko nodded and curled back down under her pink princess covers and waited until sleep overtook her.

* * *

**Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 2:46:57 PM**

* * *

"Tatsuki…" Orihime shook head. "Why are we here?" She looked around the wide empty halls and pushed her sweater further up her shoulders. "I thought you said this was taken care of."

The halls of the bank were so cold. Everything was crisp and pristine. The floors looked mopped and buffed. Each drawer reflected brightly off the ground. And each footstep the teller took made a sound that bounced off the walls.

"It's important that you're here," Tatsuki responded. "There's a lot of stuff in here that's obviously meant for you."

It was hard enough clearing out his apartment. Finding little things from their old lives together only brought the pain to the surface

The teller stopped at a gate and led them down another hall. He stopped at a drawer and opened it with a numbered key. He handed the safety deposit box to Tatsuki.

"Do I have to look in a meaningless box?!"

"Keep your voice down!" Tatsuki hissed.

"What will the box do?" Orihime shouted. "What will happen if I look-" Orihime couldn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach. There was so much… so much one could fit in such a small box.

Orihime picked up a small ring. To anyone else it would look like a ruby class ring- it would mean nothing. But this ring meant the world and more. "Why… Why…" She shook her head. "I don't want to be here anymore…"

There were other contents in the box too. Copies of other important legal documents, younger photos her and Keitaro together. Even a picture of Kioko as a baby.

Orihime picked it up and squeezed it to her chest. "I… I miss him… so much." Tears slipped past closed eyes. Her heart sunk further in her stomach as she said the words out loud.

Orihime looked down at the crumbled picture and the class ring. It was warm, as if he was only wearing it the other day. "This… He's really gone isn't he?"

Tatsuki nodded. Even the bank teller felt touched by her affirmation.

She shook her head again. He was in her arms, wearing his leather jacket, smiling at her, kissing her, making love to her… but… "It's easier to pretend..."

"Orihime, I know," Tatsuki smiled. "It gets better."

"But..." Her face felt heated, and the vein in her forehead throbbed. "I was trying to be strong... but…" She couldn't breathe. She felt as if she'd implode.

She took a deep breath, whispering, 'he's gone…', and cried.

* * *

**I think it's high time that our loveable, strawberry-haired male character makes an appearance, hm? I haven't forgotten about him, so hold on to your britches! Tightly!**

**Rocka.**


	3. No Boys Allowed

**A/N: **I knew I was going to post this late. I got caught up in a few things and I was cutting it close on so many deadlines that I had to cut out the time to write this week. Sorry for the delay :(

Also, this came out a lot longer than I expected it to :P

**Disclaimer:** Bleach characters belong to the man who wrote Bleach.

Chapter 3: No Boys Allowed

* * *

**Friday, September 17, 1999 at 10:15:41 PM**

* * *

Orihime coughed and blew the thick smoke from out of her face. "Guys, I don't know anyone here but you two..."

Rukia clapped her hands. "Then let's make some friends!" The pixie looked up at her taller friend. "This is what college is all about!"

If this was what college had to offer… Orihime looked around the smoky house… then she'd pass.

Rukia started ahead, managing to weasel her way through the tightly packed crowds of people in the cramped frat house.

_God_, how did she manage to talk her into a place like this? Freshmen didn't belong here. Sure, Renji was a sophomore, but that didn't make a difference in her eyes. And he was Rukia's boyfriend so technically his credentials didn't apply to her… she was like a baby dear in headlights.

"Tell me if anyone gives you any problems." Renji whispered in her ear, reassuringly.

But he was also sweet to her. Even though he was known for a having a tough demeanor he kept a soft spot just for her. Orihime smiled. "Thanks."

"Renji!" a deep voice called from the other side of the room.

Renji grabbed Orihime's hand, guiding the eighteen year old through the murky, gray smoke, towards the cluster of chairs, a couch and a table near the corner of the living room.

There were plenty of alcohol filled red cups to stretch around the whole campus!

Renji pointed to each person as he said their name. "This is Riruka, Michi, and Keitaro."

Riruka, the girl with magenta ponytails, had her legs draped up on the arm of the sofa, ignoring the guest as she flipped through a glossy magazine. The one named Michi sat next to her, or more, sat on the lap of the guy named Keitaro. He handed her the cigarette he was smoking and leaned forward.

Orihime was way out of her element. She just wasn't cutout for the partying life. All of the loud music and booze… and who could stand such thick smoke? It was hard to see anyone's face!

"Who's this?" Keitaro asked, pointing at her.

Orihime glanced behind her, hoping she wasn't blocking Keitaro's view. Riruka scoffed at her incompetence before Orihime realize he wanted her. She almost jumped out of her skin! Why would someone like him want to know anything about someone like her…?

Renji cracked open a beer and took a long drink. "This is Orihime, Rukia's friend."

Michi kissed him on the cheek, trying to gather his attention, but he shrugged her off.

He was staring at her; this alone made her skin crawl. She tried looking at everything else. The floor, the ceiling –which had wads of pink and blue colored gum on the ceiling, gross!-, the people in the cramped living room, even the small television by the sofa that played a rerun of _Fullhouse_. But she could still feel his eyes on her.

Orihime blushed. Why so intense?

"I got punch!" Rukia cheered. She squeezed past a couple making out next to her and handed a red cup to Orihime before sitting next to her boyfriend.

Orihime thanked her and brought the cup to her lips. "I wouldn't drink that if I were you…" Orihime looked up. He was staring at her again. Her cheeks felt hot again. Was the room filled with sweaty bodies the cause? Or was his stare that heated?

"Unless you want to end up in Souta's room …" he continued before taking the cigarette from Michi's fingers and handing it back.

Orihime looked up at Renji, curious. "What room? Who's Souta?"

Riruka giggled and flipped another page in her magazine while Michi rolled her eyes before taking another drag at her cigarette.

Renji's eye twitched a little in obvious embarrassment. "Erm… It's better if you didn't know."

**…**

Last time Orihime checked, she didn't sign on for this. The house managed to get smokier, wilder, and more crowded.

Quiet was all she craved at the moment as she opened a door which she prayed that granted her wish.

Someone, whoever was up there controlling the puny people here on earth, hated her today.

Someone else had beat her to the perfect spot in the small laundry room. He sat on the windowsill, one leg propped up with an elbow leaning against it.

He looked at her as she opened the door. Her face flushed; embarrassed that she ruined his privacy. "S-sorry, I-"

"No, please." Amber eyes glistened. "Stay."

It was dark in there. Dark enough to need a lamp, but the light from the moon outside would suffice. And the air was refreshing, and the open window provided much needed ventilation, but still, she felt suffocated, under a hood of some sort- cloaked, almost.

He was staring at her again; with those smoldering amber eyes… it was the only feature she could see in such a dark room. She was beginning to regret her decision to stay.

"Do you know what time it is?" Orihime asked shyly. She sat on top of the dryer and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. It was a little too short for her taste but since it was a party she wanted to look stylish.

He tapped the surface of his watch. "It's almost eleven." Keitaro looked back out the window. "The campus police will be here to break it up sooner or later."

The door slammed open, followed by smoke and loud music. A couple, a tall guy with silver hair and a smaller girl with girl made out against the frame. "Kenseeei!" the girl whined. "Someone beat us heeere!"

Keitaro hoped off the windowsill. "We were just leaving." He grabbed Orihime's hand and squeezed past the face-suckers. He led her up the stairs which didn't seem as crowded as it was below. "Let's find somewhere quiet."

Orihime walked down the hallway. The frat house was pretty big. Orihime couldn't bring herself to join a sorority. Besides, there were scaring stories about hazing which Orihime didn't want to be a part of.

Out the window, she could see people stripping and skinny dipping. The things people do with liquid courage… the concept of jumping naked into a pool was beyond her. How much fun could come out of that?

Orihime stopped in front of a door and pointed. "How about here?"

Keitaro shook his head. "Not unless you plan on getting high."

Orihime kept walking and stopped at another door. She peeked inside through a tiny crack in the door and immediately regretted her actions... Let's just say there was a camera, a lot of skin, and a _lot_ of moaning.

Keitaro smirked and summed it up in one word: "Souta."

"Come on." Keitaro grabbed her hand again and led her down the end of the hallway. He was tall enough to push a latch aside and pull a contactable ladder down. He started up the ladder and stopped at the top. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." He reassured.

At this moment, any levelheaded girl would turn around, find her friends and leave. But it was if a tight noose was wrapped loosely around her neck, tugging her along. She proceeded with caution. "How do I know you're not a serial killer?" Orihime asked jokingly.

"You'll never find out if you don't come," he joked back, giving her a helping hand as she walked up the ladder.

Orihime pushed her sweaty hair out of her face. "Feels good up here."

The air was stale, musky with heavy stench of damp oak and old trunks from past fraternity members.

It was cooler.

It was quieter.

They were as far away from the bustle and hustle they could possibly be while being in the vicinity.

Most of all… it was clearer. Aside from the tiny dust particle that slowing trickled around them, only revealing themselves in the moon light from the window, the air was unclouded and un-smoky.

"What are you in for?"

Orihime sat on the floor, near the window. He sat on the opposite side.

Orihime placed her long skirt over her knees. It was so cold. "You make it sound like prison."

His features were sharp. If looks could kill… he'd be the most dangerous. It was her turn to stare. Her eyes passed over his thick dark hair, his brows of the same kind, his nose, lips, and jaw line. Orihime could only imagine what lied underneath.

Keitaro scoffed. "It is."

"It's an escape... It's freedom..." Even Orihime could hear the complete bullshit in her words. "…I'm in for accounting. My aunt's paying for this so it's only fair that she chooses my career and the rest of my life…" She hugged her legs closer to chest and wrapped her arms around them. "And you?"

"Well… I couldn't gone to Waseda or Keio or even UT- hell, I could of gone anywhere in the world! But I chose here just to piss my father off." He kicked an old trinket into the shadows. "I'll be sucked into the family business anyway..."

Waseda? Keio? His grades must have been through the roof! To get accepted to some of the top schools in the country is amazing… but he chose Karakura University…?

"I don't understand…" Both of them watched the trinket roll from out of the darkness and stop in the middle of the room, rolling in place until it was forced to stop. Orihime continued. "…You can go to any elite school in the country… and you chose to come here."

"Seems like a waste to me…" Orihime looked out the window. If she looked down she could see naked bodies jumping into the pool below. If she looked up, she could see the waning moon. One day, she would reach the stars. "If I was in your position… I would change the world."

Keitaro looked straight ahead, into the dark attic. The room seemed to stretch further and further deeper into an abyss. It was hypnotizing, and Keitaro couldn't take his eyes off of it. "There's no such thing as a perfect world."

"It doesn't have to be perfect." Her voice snapped him out of it. He stared at her full cheeks and fiery hair. It illuminated in the dull light bringing a vibrant color to her face. "…Just better than it is now."

He seemed to crumple his thick brows in thought for a moment before flashing a big white smile.

"I like you."

It was a simple sentence. Three words. It was enough to make any girl squeal and hop into his lap. Just then, Orihime thought of how many girls he'd led up here, and how many of them have fallen for his bad-boy antics.

It was her turn to scoff. "You hardly know me."

Keitaro shrugged. "I can read people really well, I guess."

"Really…" The girl blushed and turned away from the window. "So what am I saying to you?"

He liked her. He liked her eyes, and her lips, and her nose. He like her body, and her mind, and her personality. He was intrigued. Most girls didn't hold his attention this long. But she captivated him. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wanted to know more.

"You're wondering if I'm a good guy or a bad guy."

Orihime looked out the window once more. "Well, which one are you?"

Keitaro frowned, slowly. He turned forward again, staring, hypnotized.

"Truth be told… I don't really know myself…"

* * *

**Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 4:32:51 PM**

* * *

Orihime tapped her bottom lip, deep in thought. _How could they do something so terrible, something so despicable! _"Where are you…?" she grumbled, crumpling her brow. "Where would it be?"

Kioko held the side of the cart for support and slowly rolled onto her toes, stretching her legs and making sure her back was perfectly straight. "Mom, watch!"

Orihime waved away the noise. "Kiki, not now." She pushed the cart forward, almost running over her daughter in the process. "This will be the death of me," Orihime mumbled. Up and down, up and down every aisle. Why was this so hard to find?

Orihime stopped and tapped the shoulder of an employee stacking cans of peas. "Excuse me, what aisle would the marshmallows be in?"

The pimply employee scratched the top of his moppy hair. "Ah, they are in the dessert aisle, I think." He wiped his greasy hand on his apron while Orihime mentally noted to reconsider shopping here again. "Ah…aisle eight?"

Orihime smiled and thanked him but moved away quickly. "Why they changed the layout of the store is beyond me…" She shook her head angrily. "And who puts the marshmallows in the dessert aisle? I mean, come on! It belongs in the condiment aisle!"

Kioko travelled behind her, slowly, rolling to the balls of her feet up to her big toes and took a few painful steps forward. "Mom, watch me! Mom, look! I'm on pointe!"

Her mother turned the corner into aisle eight. "Kiki, your teacher said you're not ready to be on pointe."

The eight year old sighed. "She doesn't know anything…"

You're not ready, you're not ready…. That's all she heard. You can't do that, you can't do this… it was all the same. She may have been eight years old but she was not stupid. Her teacher liked Mina more… and her dumb perfect arch…

She used the bottles of chocolate sprinkles to once again roll on to pointe. "No, watch me!"

The minis or the jumbos… Orihime couldn't decide. Shopping for the kids was getting harder and harder. They are even pickier now than they were when they were little. And Kenta was like vacuum now, he'd eat anything- yes he was a picky vacuum. He'd eat all of the jumbos but none of the minis… or vice versa depending on his mood.

Kioko leaped past her mother and landed on the balls of her feet, rolled onto her toes and spun into a pirouette. It would have been perfect, if she didn't slip. "Whoa!" Kioko's flats were not suitable shoes for such slippery floors. She fell against the shelves, making boxes from the top shake off.

Kioko waited for the boxes to fall on her and she waited for the tears to start but someone saved her. It wasn't her mother.

Orihime didn't get there in time.

Keitaro looked up at her, grinning. His amber eyes sparkled and he held up a box of brownie mix. "Need some brownies?" he asked jokingly.

Orihime blinked. The grin faltered. The dark hair was replaced with bright orange, the grin had a subtle but still noticeable crook to it… but the eyes remained the same sparkling amber.

The man stood up straight and Kioko jumped to her feet.

Orihime grabbed her daughter out of the way. "Kiki, apologize."

"Oh," Kioko gave a tiny bow. "Sorry mister!"

Kioko helped him pick up the remaining boxes on the floor of the aisle. Orihime's fingers were numb. He was there… he was there a second ago… he was…

Kioko handed the man with the strange hair the rest of the fallen merchandise. His hand and jeans had dry white stuff on it that was chipping off. Kioko questioned the substance. "What's that on your hands?"

The man placed the chopped walnuts back on the top shelf. "Oh…, it's paint."

Kioko handed him the last bag on the ground. "Why do you have paint on your hands?"

"I'm working on a project."

Of Kioko's interrogation wouldn't stop there. "What kind of project?"

The man smiled, amused by her inquisitiveness. "One that involves paint, naturally."

"Kiki, that's enough." Orihime looked up at the man. "Sorry, again."

"But-" her daughter attempted to protest but was met with a stern look from her mother.

The man smiled again. "I… I'd listen to your sister."

Kioko lifted her thick, dark eyebrows. "She's my mom."

The man looked genuinely surprised. "Oh," he whispered, embarrassed by his rashness.

Orihime blushed before grabbing Kioko and riding off into another aisle. "Have a nice day," she shouted before grabbing a bag of jumbo marshmallows.

Kioko began to shiver from standing near the coolers. Kioko hated this section of the supermarket, albeit it had ice cream, and if she was lucky, her mom would place a tub or two in the cart, but that was once in a blue moon. "Mom, he was cute."

Her mother giggled. What did her eight year old know about a 'cute' man or not. She was eight for crying out loud! "Kiki, please." Orihime added a gallon of milk to the cart. "Don't talk to strangers, okay?"

Kioko harrumphed and folded her arms. Her mom talked to strangers all the time, she would know! She sees people all the time stop to talk to her mother, they were mostly men. She always smiles and walks away from them. She remembered asking her mom about it. She called it 'flirting', whatever that meant…

Orihime finished her shopping and pushed her heavy cart into the shorted line. Kioko was helping her mother place the groceries on the conveyor belt when she saw her strange haired friend again.

Kioko waved, grinning widely.

The man stopped behind them, placing his things on the counter. "Hey, fancy seeing you again. And your mother."

Orihime paused for a moment before continuing to load her groceries. If she ignored him, maybe he'd get the hint.

"My mom thinks you're cute."

Orihime jaw dropped. "Kioko! What did I say about talking to strangers?" Orihime gave her a tiny pinch on her upper arm. Kioko frowned a rubbed it, sniffling. She hated pinches, they hurt, badly.

The man knew he should have backed off. She was a beautiful woman and surely dozens on men approached her every day. But he wasn't the type to give up. No, if she was issuing a challenge then he was unquestionably ready.

"Well, tell her I said thank you, she's not too bad herself."

Kioko looked up to her mother. Her face looked all red. "Mom, he said-"

"I heard him." Orihime said quickly as she jabbed in her number for her credit card. She piled her groceries back into the cart but they didn't all fit anymore, and she didn't want to stack her gallon of milk over the delicate carton of eggs.

"I could help you with your bags." The insisted as he picked up his two grocery bags with ease.

"No thank you." Orihime grumbled. This one… this one was persistent.

"Please." Orihime glanced up at him. He was tall, taller than Keitaro actually. "It's the best way I can repay you for your compliment."

Kioko bounced up and down. "Mommy, please!"

The man joined in, begging with his eyes. "Yeah, please?"

The mother gave in. She handed him a few bags and failed at containing her giggles. Seeing Kioko and that man there, staring at her with puppy dog eyes… it reminded her of… a different time.

"Would it be a stretch if I asked you out to dinner?" The man asked as he helped load the groceries into her car.

"Yes, that would be pushing it." She smiled and thanked him for his help.

He tipped an imaginary hat. "You're welcome."

Orihime exhaled as she got into her car and started the engine. She hadn't even realized she was holding her breath. It's just that… he had an air around him. It wasn't arrogance… but confidence? Whatever it was, it suffocated her and she needed to get away fast.

"Mom…" Kioko giggled at her mother. She could see her red face from in the rearview mirror from her seat in the back. "…Your cheeks are red."

"Huh?" Orihime jumped back to the present, grateful that she didn't get into a car crash in her mind's absence.

"Your cheeks…"

* * *

**Saturday, September 25, 1999 at 9:13:02 PM**

* * *

Orihime tapped her pencil against her homework. Who could possible concentrate on math when there was _Keitaro_? Somewhere out there, Keitaro is sitting, no, walking, no- _strolling_, down a street somewhere. Or maybe he was at another frat party… talking to another girl… maybe even kissing her… or more…

Orihime frowned. For such an optimistic person, her thought always became sour quickly. How depressing.

The girl sighed. Her roommate, Mahana, went out partying like an normal girl her age, and she was stuck studying for an upcoming test.

"Fun!" Orihime said sarcastically and let her pencil slip through her fingers. To be honest, she could have gone out with Mahana and her friends, she could have even left with Rukia and Renji who left for dinner and movie. But… she was scared.

What if she saw him again? What would she say? How would she say it? What should she do with her hands?

Orihime clapped her hands over her head repeatedly. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

The things she said… what did she even say? She couldn't remember. All she remembered was his face… especially his eyes.

And she remembered the conversation Rukia and her had earlier on in the week.

"_I know you keep thinking about the guy…"_

_Rukia couldn't contain her snickers as the friends walked through the courtyard. "What guy?"_

"_Don't play dumb." Rukia smirked. "Keitaro, Renji's friend."_

_Orihime felt her cheeks heat up from the sound of his name. "Is it that obvious?"_

"_He's not what he seems you know…" Rukia released, letting it hang in the air until Orihime asked: "What do you mean?"_

"_He's rich."_

_Orihime shook her head and giggled. Rich was the last adjective she expected to be in the same sentence with Keitaro, in terms of money. Rich in life, women, and romance, maybe. But money? He just didn't act so. Every rich kid she knew was snobby and stuck up and everything Keitaro wasn't._

_The girls sat down in their usual spot near a tree in the courtyard. It wasn't the most perfect spot, but it was good enough for the duo._

"_I'm serious!" Rukia exclaimed. "His family owns a heating and air conditioning company. Sato Inc." She grinned proudly. "Renji's dad works for his father. They play golf together sometimes."_

_Orihime adjusted her skirt on so her ankles were shielded from the prickly grass. "Makes sense, I guess."_

_Rukia took out her text books and laid them on the ground. "I didn't know you were into the bad-boy type!" she exclaimed as she took out her homework._

"_I'm not! …I don't know…" Her conviction faltered. She didn't really have a type. To be honest, she didn't really care much for boys. She just didn't have the time. Her aunt had her life laid out for her. She just needed to follow the map and not stray or dawdle about. Her future was mapped out. It was up to her to secure it._

_And boys just weren't in the picture, for now, at least. _

"_And you're one to talk!" Orihime shouted. "Renji is such a dangerous man!"_

_The girls giggled together. "Don't let the campus find out!"_

She didn't need distractions. And Keitaro Sato was a big one, with a capital _D_.

"_Do you think you'll…" Rukia clicked her tongue lifted her eye brows up and down._

_Orihime jaw dropped. She had one conversation with the guy on a Friday night in a attic and already her best friend was asking her if she'll drop her panties._

_Rukia pushed her shoulder playfully. "Come on, I know you already did _it_ with Keigo."_

Why_ did she tell Rukia _anything_?! She'd just blurt it out anytime she wanted any way. She might as well tell the whole school about her sex life._

"_Yeah," Orihime sighed. "But it was horrible."_

"_How do you know the difference if you were a virgin?"_

"_Because you just know…" Orihime didn't know everything about sex, but she knew it wasn't supposed to be like that. To make a long story short… _really_ short... there was a lot of sweating, grunting, pain, and two nosebleeds. Not the most glamorous way to lose your virginity._

Mulling over her lost virginity wasn't going to get her and A.

Her mind returned to her homework.

Something hit her window. Again, there was a thud.

Did… did a bird just fly into her window? Maybe birds were attacking her! Like in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, _The Birds_. Orihime imagined herself as Tippi Hedren, in her green dress as she fended off angry crowds of crows and seagulls with a flashlight in the attic.

Orihime waved her hands around frantically, mimicking the iconic movie scene.

"Psst! Orihime!"

Unless the birds could talk and articulate her name, Orihime doubted it was the _aves_ apocalypse.

There was another thud. Orihime slowly approached the window. She opened it but quickly ducked for cover from a stone that was flung into her room.

Keitaro stood at the bottom with a fist full of rocks.

"What are you doing?!" she almost shouted.

Keitaro dropped the rocks and brushed his hands. "Come down here."

Orihime had to admit, she was a little disappointed that there was no apocalypse. But… Keitaro was a nice trade. "Hey… How'd you know this was my window?" she said from two stories up. There were plenty of dorms on campus. Unless he went throwing rocks on every girl's window all night- which was impossible- he'd have no way of knowing.

He waved his hand, beckoning her. "Renji told me," he said quickly, offering a quick explanation. "Now get down here!"

"We'll get in trouble!" She hissed and slammed the window shut.

For a moment, Keitaro stood there stunned. Never had he been so boldly rejected. Yeah, some girls liked to play hard-to-get but it was all an act. They'd eventually give in and he'd have his fun and move on to the next.

"Throwing rocks against a window is a little cliché don't you think?"

Keitaro turned around. She was pulling down a sweat jacket with the university's initials on it. He had to admit, it was a little cold out tonight.

He smirked, regaining his composure from the initial shock of rejection. "I figured it'd get your attention."

All hope wasn't lost.

Orihime folded her arms over her chest. She tried not to stare too hard at the motorcycle sitting ominously on the sidewalk. "Well, what do you want? It's getting really late and-"

"And you have studying to do, blah, blah, blah…" Keitaro spread his arms out wide. "The night is still young!"

He walk closer to his dangerous vehicle, against her better judgment and her own protest, she walked with him.

She watched him straddle the motorcycle and start the engine. Orihime's heart fluttered. Something about the rev of the engine and mischievous smile he gave her made her rethink her boundaries.

Still, she offered a weak argument. "Keitaro, I can't leave campus." She shifted her weight from one foot to the next. "If my aunt finds out, she'll kill me."

Keitaro handed her his only helmet. "Get on."

* * *

**Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 4:53:27 PM**

* * *

"Kenny! Kenny! Kenta!"

"What!" Kenta shouted from the top of the stairs.

Orihime peeked her head upstairs and smiled at her son. "Help us with the bags, please."

Her son rolled his gray eyes. "Ugh, fine."

Orihime returned to her cell phone. "I almost forgot…" She placed her grocery bags on the kitchen table. "You're lucky you called."

Rukia was on the other end, taking the time to dice blocks of cheese into perfect squares. Rukia always knew her way around a knife. "I will drag you out of the house kicking and screaming if I have to." She sent air kisses through the phone. "I'll see you soon."

"I got your favorite, marshmallows!" Orihime held the bag up for her son to see. "Don't tell me you've grown out of them." Orihime had to consider his capriciousness when shopping for food. She wasn't one to waste food or money so she had to buy what they would eat.

"I don't need marshmallows, and I don't need a babysitter." Kenta said as he unpacked three cartoons of eggs. Orihime was sure she had only brought two... maybe she picked up an extra by accident.

"I'm not leaving you alone with your sister so you can kill each other, besides, Yuzu is nice." Olives? When has she ever brought olives? The mother shook her head and placed the bottle on the counter. Seeing visions of him… buying extra eggs… buying olives and not knowing it… maybe she was losing her mind.

"She's my age! How does she have more authority than me?"

Since they moved here, Yuzu, the neighbor's daughter was always coming around here. She was always in his face, asking how he was doing, baking him cookies and doing other girly things. He didn't want anything to do with her. And he definitely was not going to eat her cookies to contract coodies!

"She's nice to Kiki and she refuses payment even when I insist." The mother grinned. "And I think she likes you."

"Whatever." Kenta grumbled. "Just go to your dumb party."

Kenta had definitely changed over the past couple of years. Yes, physically, he was growing into his own, but he was also becoming more and more distant. Orihime tried sparking conversations but his was so moody and difficult. Orihime hoped it was just him becoming an emotional teenager, and nothing more.

"Kenny has a girlfriend!" Kioko snickered from across the table.

The thirteen year old blushed. "Shut up!" "That's why you still have all your baby teeth!"

Kioko stood on her chair and stomped. "So do you!"

"No I don't." Kenta reached over and plucked her ear.

Kioko yelped and punched his arm.

Orihime pulled Kioko away by the collar before it became a MMA fight. "Kenny, be nice."

Kioko made faces from behind her mother, sticking out her tongue and dancing a jig. Kenta pointed at his sister. "What about _it_?!"

"My name isn't _it_!" the eight year old complained. He always called her that. _It_ was not her name, Kioko was her name!

"Kioko, Kenta, stop it and finish putting the food away." "And behave yourselves when Yuzu gets here."

The two continued putting the groceries away as if nothing ever happened. They both push and tugged here and there but the fight blew over as they normally did. Much like their father, their tempers rose high and fast, but were over as quickly as they began.

Their tempers weren't the only reminders of him. They both amassed his dark hair and thick eyebrows, even his sharp chin; though Kioko still had a little fat in her cheeks that Orihime doubt she'd grow out of.

The only resemblance they held to her was their eyes. They both had gray eyes much like her own. Keitaro always said it was his favorite part about her. He was overjoyed to find three pairs of them staring back at him after a long day at work.

* * *

**Saturday, September 25, 1999 at 9:27:02 PM**

* * *

Orihime gripped the sides of his shirt tightly. "Woah! Slow down!"

"Slow isn't in my vocabulary!" Keitaro shouted back.

The ride wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Seeing the city zip past in blurry, swirling lights was a wonderful experience. Turning corners was a negative. Leaning with the bike and with him during rounded or sharp corners was absolutely terrifying. What if she fell off? The helmet would protect her face, but what about the rest of her body? What if she fell off, then got ran over by a car- no, a truck. Even worse… a train! What would happen then?

But they didn't crash, which was a plus.

They came to a park filled with people. Many of them sat on the grass with blankets and drinks. Some parked their cars on the field and snuggled down in them.

Keitaro slowed down and kicked the side stand and shut off the engine.

Orihime balked at the makeshift movie screen made of sheets. It was hanging between two tall trees with a projector behind it. Keitaro led her to an empty spot on the field with a blue afghan quilt just as the movie began.

The old roaring lion showed on the screen and faded away. The orchestra played "_Over the Rainbow_" as the opening credits passed by. "Oh I love this movie!"

The nineteen year old grinned. "I'm glad, I requested it for tonight."

"Really?" Orihime nudged him a little. "That was nice of you."

Keitaro rubbed the back of his neck, adverting his eyes. "That and it's also my favorite movie..."

"Really?!" Orihime groaned. "I'm saying 'really' a lot, aren't I?"

He shrugged. "It's fine."

Orihime looked around. There were a few college students she recognized, but most she didn't know. People were laughing and smiling, some were kissing and touching, others were watching the movie. They all looked so happy and calm. The sophomore blended in with them, he wore tattered jeans and a leather riding jacket. Orihime glared down at her mom jeans and oversized sweat jacket. She didn't belong here.

"I never pegged you as the Wizard of Oz type of guy." Keitaro took her hand and examined her palms and her nails. "Me and my sister would sneak and watch it when our mother thought we were doing homework." He looked up at her, lifting a thick, dark brow. "Do you have any sibling?"

The freshman looked up at the makeshift movie screen. Judy Garland walked through her farm, singing and wishing that she'd wake up somewhere far away. "Used to…"

* * *

**Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 6:12:03 PM**

* * *

"It would help if you stopped fidgeting."

She wasn't fidgeting that much… What? She hadn't been to house parties since she was in college. And those days were long gone.

"Rukia, I can't believe you've talked me into coming."

"Orihime. You're not an old maid, so stop acting like it." Her friend raked a hand through a short dark hair. "I invited so many singles to this party. Now you need to mingle!"

Orihime appreciated her friend's effort, she truly did. But she didn't need anyone or anything. She wasn't looking or searching for anything in particular. Besides, Orihime highly doubted anyone would ever measure up to _him_ anyway.

"Where's Renji?"

Rukia waved her hand as if to wave away the question. "Somewhere with his friends…"

Orihime tried not to linger on the fact that Rukia dodged that question like an oncoming train. But if she needed to find him, all she needed to look for was spiky crimson hair

The ladies stood near the island in the kitchen. It gave them the perfect vantage point. "These men are thirty plus years old and still single? What does that tell you?"

Orihime wasn't a judgmental person. She was open to conversation with everyone, no matter their looks. But in terms of "finding a man" in the words of Rukia, she needed to be picky.

"You have a point. But there's one guy I really want you to meet… He's here!"

A tall man with shaggy hair was approaching the ladies. He lifted a hand and smiled.

"Hi, Orihime right?" He shook her hand, his long fingers wrapping around hers completely. "Rukia's been raving about you."

"Yeah, sorry." Orihime gave Rukia and quick death glare before she walked away. "She does seem to 'rave' a lot more than necessary."

His thick glasses gleamed. "Raving doesn't seem to do you any justice. You are absolutely stunning."

A smile crept on her lips. Compliments were always nice to hear, especially when they're thrown at you all the time. Hearing a genuine one- a compliment whose purpose isn't to just get into her pants- was rare.

He was way taller than her. But then again, most people were. He towered over her and it was beginning to make her antsy.

Orihime tapped her glass in anticipation. "Thank you… I didn't get your name."

"I'm A-"

"Kurosaki!"

A big ruckus was made at the front door.

"You guys didn't tell me this bastard was comin' in!" Renij shouted.

"Aw, you're gonna make me blush!"

As stated before, most people were taller than her which made it difficult to see over crowds. She tried looking past the broad man to see the guy that just walked in. His voice was so familiar… it couldn't be. It just can't be the guy from the market earlier today…

"Anyway, like I was saying, I'm…"

Distracted, Orihime looked up at the broad man. "H-huh?"

"I'm a stockbroker. The job can get pretty heated sometimes.."

"I'm sorry, can you excuse me?"

The mother placed her drink on the counter and walked off. Luckily, Rukia's guest bathroom wasn't occupied and there wasn't a line.

Tonight just wasn't good for her. She wanted to splash some cold water on her face, but Rukia told her to wear makeup and smile.

Orihime stared back at herself in the mirror. She flashed some teeth, smiled, smirked… it all seemed forced. Fake. She just needed to go home and curl up to a good book. That sounded like a great way to end such a shoddy day.

First things first. Finding a way past her "date". Next, get to the front door before Rukia could find her. Making it to her car with no interruptions and driving home with no one knowing. Not the cleaniest or most concrete plan, but it was something.

Rukia found her quickly before she could reach the front door. "Orihime, where've you been? A-"

"I think I might go home."

Rukia deflated. "Oh, no! Please, don't do that!" She tugged on her friend's arm. "Don't do this to me!"

"I'm sorry, I just think this is… it's too early for me."

Rukia wanted to say "It's been two years!" but she held her tongue. When the time was right, Orihime would know. Until then, she needed to stop pressuring her friend.

Orihime took a deep breath as she stepped out of the house. There was something about clean, crisp air. She just couldn't get enough of it.

"Got bored with that guy really quick, did ya?"

The thirty-three year old turned. "Excuse me?"

Ichigo cocked his head to the left. "Mr. WhiteCollar. What a schmuck, right?"

Without a doubt it was the man from the market. He was still in a plaid button down and jeans and leaned against the archway. She could have walked away, said "goodnight" and carried on with her business. She knew that one of her favorite books was calling her name… but she was intrigued. He was baiting her. Like a tiny worm on a hook.

She decided to take a bite.

"Actually he's stockbroker."

Ichigo grinned. "Even worse."

Orihime took a few steps back and leaned on the arch opposite of him. "And what do you do for a living, might I ask?"

He dug in his pocket and pulled out a small black card with simple metallic writing. "Here. I'm a contractor."

"And do you always hit on married women?"

At that, Ichigo had to laugh. She looked sweet and innocent, but if you pushed the right buttons, you'll get a whole lot of sass. He liked that. "I have my boundaries, of course." He rubbed his orange scruffy beard. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you aren't wearing a wedding band or an engagement ring. It looks like a class ring. College?"

"High school." Orihime corrected him. He was talking about Keitaro's ruby ring… it held more weight than he could possibly understand.

"Orihime!" Rukia burst through the door, hoping her friend didn't leave just yet. "Orihime, take this with you!"

"Rukia, I know how to bake."

"I know, but this has cookies and cake slices, I thought maybe the kids would want some."

She hugged her friend. "Thank you."

Rukia looked behind her at the onlooker. "Oh, I see you've met Ichigo."

"I know him now. Well, I have to go."

"The offer's still on the table." Ichigo said quickly.

"What offer?" Ichigo walked across the street with her, opening her car door for her.

"That date you owe me." He said as he shut the door.

"The date I owe you?"

"Yeah. I accidently put my groceries in your car. As of now, my refrigerator is still empty." He rocked back and forth on his heels. "We could go grab something to eat sometime."

Orihime thought it over as she put the keys in the ignition. She did have usual groceries in her kitchen as she unpacked them. She thought maybe she had accidently placed them in the cart or if she mistaken someone else's cart as her own. Of course, of all the people in the world to have the groceries belong to, it had to be him.

"You'll probably be starved by the time that day comes."

Ichigo exhaled as if he'd been burned. "Ouch."

"Orihime…" He liked the way her name sounded on the tongue. Her name wasn't the only thing he liked. Watching her walk to her car, the way her hips swished. It was like livewire to his libido.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't even try, Ichigo."

"And why not?" He followed his old friend back to the porch. "Many guys ask her out? That's it, isn't it?" I don't mind competing with other guys. May the best man win."

Rukia scoffed. Men could be so narrow-minded sometimes. It always had to be a competition.

"Rukia, please. Tell me what's her deal."

"It's not my business, Ichigo. If you want to find out something about her, ask her out yourself. You'll actually be doing me a big favor." He grabbed her wrist before she could enter the house. She had always been a great friend, and right now he needed her help. He needed to know more about that woman, and he wasn't going to stop bothering her until he gathered more information- even if it was just a drop.

Rukia snatched her arm back. "If you want to compete so hard, try competing with a dead ex-husband."

* * *

**Saturday, September 25, 1999 at 10:31:44 PM**

* * *

The wicked witch yelped in pain. "You cursed brat," she shouted. "Look what you've done! I'm melting!"

He tongue felt thick as she tried to swallow down the night's event. As the movie played on, things slowly became more physical. Orihime wasn't sure if it was her own doing or if the other couples around them provided influence, but she allowed him to put his hands all over her and she touched him back. "…Keitaro…" Somewhere between the yellow brick road and Emerald City, Orihime took his jacket off and stroke his muscular arms. He didn't mind much.

"Hail to Dorothy, the wicked witch is dead!" The green soldiers chanted.

His right hand rubbed against her inner thigh and his left played with her hair. "Are you ready?" His smile teased. He knew what he was doing.

Orihime nodded, managing to croak out a "Sure" before gathering the blue afghan and his leather riding jacket and travelling back to the campus on his bike.

Mahana was surely in bed by now. She never stayed out longer than ten. The girl loved to party but even she knew when the party was over.

The girl thanked her beau for evening, even commenting on how terrifying the ride was. He responded with a smile and a hug. But when he turned to leave, she held on.

The furrowing of his brow indicated confusion. "I thought boys weren't allowed in this dorm."

Orihime shook her head. "They're not."

The eighteen year old stood on her toes and kissed his bottom lip for it was the only lip she could reach before walking back inside the dorm.

* * *

**Sunday, March 9, 2014 ****Time: Unknown.**

* * *

It was cold. Orihime brought the quilted blanket up higher over her arms but it only left her toes exposed.

The woman grumbled and adjusted her position on the sofa, bringing her knees higher to her chest. A warm hand slid across her belly.

"You're so cold," he whispered.

Before she could turn to look, to catch a whiff, to even say his name, he was gone.

Orihime woke up. She was still on the sofa, wrapped in the blue afghan quilt. The television was still on. The cable box above it read 1:31 AM.

Orihime groaned, pushing herself up. She really needed to stop with the late night work sessions. Her work papers were strewn all across the floor in front of the couch and she took great caution when stepping over them.

The quilt travelled with her to the kitchen as she poured herself a glass of milk.

It was always cold at night and the broken back door provided no help from the harsh winds. The only protection they had was the wonky screen door.

It killed her to not reach over and down a cup of cold coffee, so instead she finished off her milk and examined the bent door. It was hanging for dear life off the bottom hinge, and you needed to lift it in order for it to close completely which was a difficult task on its own since the door was so damn heavy. "I really need to get this fixed…"

Orihime fingered the business card in her pocket. Contractor… they worked on buildings and stuff right? So fixing a tiny backdoor would be easy, right?

…It wouldn't hurt to call… would it?

…would it?

* * *

**In the scene where they're in the attic, I wanted to foreshadow their futures, or their mindsets. Orihime is obviously trying to reach the stars, trying to make something of herself, why Keitaro, is someone who has everything and nothing all at once.**

**I know I rated this M and I really want to put darker themes in this story, but I can't bring myself to write them out completely. I'm just not ready to completely cross that line in my writing yet. Maybe one day though. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Stay tuned.**

Rocka


	4. Hard Habits

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay, again! Finding the time to write was getting tougher and honestly, my boyfriend (who I hadn't seen in two weeks) stole me away from my laptop for the weekend so I wasn't able to update.

**Disclaimer:** Do I still need to write 'disclaimer'? Does the first disclaimer count and carry over for the rest of the story… does claiming a disclaimer even matter anymore?

Chapter 4: Hard Habits

* * *

**Monday, October 18, 1999 at 9:13:21 AM**

* * *

The girl ignored them at first. Surely they were meant for someone else to catch their attention. But after a few more "Psst"s and "Orihime"s, she knew someone was trying to gather her interest.

Keitaro chucked another wad of paper at her head. "Hey!"

The professor looked up, glaring, trying to spot the troublemaker. Everyone became quiet and attentive before he turned back around and continued with his lesson.

Orihime turned in her chair. Keitaro grinned down at her. She had to admit, he was one handsome devil, but not at eight a.m. on a Monday and not during seminar. "Why are you always throwing stuff at me?!"

He leaned forward. "Wanna go have some fun?" he whispered.

Yeah the class was boring, but she wasn't just going to skip out on her classes every time she got bored. "Keitaro, you know I can't."

Keitaro stood and smirked. "Meet me outside."

Orihime rolled her eyes. Even she knew she wasn't going to stick around after Keitaro's performance. Orihime left the seminar, looking around the hallway for him. "Keitaro?"

"Boo!"

Orihime jumped, yelping. She was granted with quiet and deadly stares from her fellow peers in the hall. She slapped Keitaro hands away from her hips but he swooped her back to him, kissing her.

"I want to see more of you." he whispered when they parted. "You spend too much time in class."

That was the way it was. He was always playing games, casting her off and reeling her back in. Orihime needed to learn how to play- and fast, before she lost for good.

They sat on the grass in the park. As days and weeks passed, Orihime noticed that he thoroughly enjoyed the park. It cleared his mind- at least that's what she believed.

Keitaro rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip lightly. This was another thing Orihime appreciated. Keitaro was rough. When he held her, grabber her, and even when he kissed her, he would do it hard. So when his touch was soft, she drank it in, remembering the way it felt when his hands treated her delicately.

"I want you to promise me something."

"What? What is it?" she breathed.

"If you hear things about me… bad things… don't believe it all." He cupped her chin and brought her face closer to his'. "You hear me?"

"Don't believe it all_"_… so what parts were she to believe?

Orihime gulped. "What about the good things?"

Keitaro grinned. "Well now, that's a different story."

* * *

**Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 12:27:42 PM**

* * *

"That's some story."

Orihime shrugged. "Boys."

She just finished explaining how Kenta, when he was younger, was chasing his friends around in the house and they all slammed into the backdoor, piling onto top of each other and breaking it in the process.

Keitaro swung the door back and forth. He got down on one knee and pushed a hand through his dark hair.

Oh how Orihime loved massaging his hair, whether they were making love or relaxing on a couch, Orihime would just grab a few locks and push them between her fingers.

There were only a handful of times Orihime could remember when she had gentle sex. It was the best kind after all and was especially special when it was rare.

Amber eyes looked up at her, staring. "Is something the matter?" Ichigo lifted an orange brow.

"Huh… oh, nothing…" Orihime blushed and pushed a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. She was caught daydreaming, but it wasn't like he knew what she was thinking… Maybe he did… Maybe lonely divorcees called him up all the time to do some private handiwork… Orihime shook her head; she was being irrational again, like always when her mind went awry.

"I was just wondering how long this will take."

It was about 12:30, and Orihime knew she needed to run into work soon. Ishida would chew her out for it, the way he always does. But she'd bare it.

This man. This man in his simple white t-shirt and faded jeans, worn from hard labor was driving her crazy something fierce.

Orihime couldn't help but feel connected to him somehow. She wasn't sure if it was of her own doing or it there truly was a bond. Either way, she wanted to explore it and probe at it, see the mechanics and understand the way it worked. She needed to understand why the closer she got to this man, she more she felt the presence of _him_.

Or… maybe it was something else… There was no doubt that attraction existed between the two and Orihime wasn't sure if exploring _that_ side of him was worth it. Anyone could see he was an attractive man. And anyone could wear such a simple outfit. But he made it something more. Something sultry, something like white cotton loosely hanging from washboard abs. Was it something more? Or was she just losing her mind.

And Orihime was beginning to strongly accept latter.

Orihime leaned her back against the kitchen sink and calculated the last time she 'got some'. That was the real reason Rukia was trying to set her up.

"_Orihime, your _vibe_ can only do so much. Everyone needs the _real_ thing once in a while."_

Rukia was so blunt. Orihime blushed, even now as she remembered the short intervention.

He was looking at her. Orihime was beginning to panic. His mouth was moving.

"Orihime?"

"Huh?"

Ichigo lifted an orange brow. "If you pick out a new door I'll install it for you. You'll need a pre-hung exterior door. One that comes with a frame."

Oh, he was asking about the damn door. "When do you think you'll be finished?"

"It's a door installation. I can have it done by tomorrow if you find a door." He stood up, carrying his tool box with one hand, and with the other, he pulled out a card from his pocket. "The owner's a friend of mine. He'll give you a nice price."

Orihime read the card. It was a furniture and home improvement store. Orihime knew the address but never needed to shop there. "Thanks." She watched him jimmy the door into closing. She propped a hand on her hip and smirked when he turned around. "Do you always keep business cards in your pockets?"

Ichigo walked closer to her, in fact, so close that her chest almost bumped his'. "You'd be surprised what these jeans can carry."

* * *

**Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 5:21:44 PM**

* * *

"He said that?"

Orihime blushed. "I know, right!" Actually, she was quiet surprised at how nice he was to her, considering she basically told him to starve. She made a mental note to apologize.

"Look, I'm not complaining." Rukia shimmied her shoulders and laughed. "You need to have a little fun."

"I don't need fun, I need a door."

Orihime took a few steps back and studied the steel entry door. It was bland and white and not her taste. She swung it to the left to examine the next door on the rack but didn't like it either.

"This one is nice."

Rukia made a face. "Too bulky."

"Do you need any help, ma'am?"

The woman turned to see an employee in a orange apron smiling sweetly.

Orihime smiled back. "No. But thank you!"

The blonde boy rocked from one foot to the other, smiling wider at Orihime. "If you need any help, anything, I'm near the front desk."

The ladies waved and thanked him for his thoughtfulness. "Okay, we'll let you know!"

"That's like the fourth one." Rukia grumbled.

The thirty-two year old shrugged. "It's the third. But whose keeping count?"

"It's hard not to. It happens every time we come out."

"It doesn't mean anything…" Orihime didn't understand. There was no need to be jealous. Guys came up to her all the time but it never became anything more than just a hello and goodbye. Besides, wasn't she happy with Renji and Sanji?

Orihime pulled at another heavy door. "What's up?"

Rukia shook her head, her short dark locks bobbing around. "I just have a lot on my mind, I guess."

Why did she act like this? It was so frustrating! Orihime worried for her friend and if something was bothering her, she wanted to know, to help and fix it. It's always been this way and Orihime knew she would do the same. In fact, she _has_ been doing the same.

Rukia glanced up at Orihime who was staring down at her, concerned. "It's nothing." She rolled her eyes. "Can we just… find a door, please?"

"Fine… I'll let it go…" _For now…, _Orihime thought. Rukia also knew the conversation was over, but the issue wasn't

It was about 5:30, the kids' practice would be over soon. She continued to push the doors until she came to a fiberglass mahogany entry door.

"Hmm… I like this one."

* * *

**Sunday, October 31, 1999 at 11:43:56 PM**

* * *

"Keitaro… I don't like this."

Orihime clung to his arm for dear life. She was surrounded by people in odd customs and even though she was dressed in normal attire, she still felt like the odd one out.

She just wanted to stay in tonight, but no. He insisted on going out.

"Why are we at the abandoned race track?" She kept asking him, but he wouldn't answer. He just wore that smug smile on his face, as though he was hiding something.

With a flash of white and black, Orihime screamed. The man behind the mask laughed and scurried off. Ironically, it was just that, the iconic mask from the movie _Scream_.

Keitaro giggled a little and rubbed her arm reassuringly.

She hated Halloween, sure she didn't mind giving out candy and receiving it, but Halloween wasn't a nice time to be out and about. The whole thought of dressing up as something scary was enough to keep her locked in her basement until daylight. She'd much rather dress up as a nice pumpkin character or a cat, something sweet and not too menacing.

"Don't worry, babe." Keitaro grabbed her chin and kissed her forehead. "It'll be alright."

Hatsuye, a girl Orihime always saw in the food court, stepped out in the middle of the track. She was wearing a skintight cat outfit and held a tiny green cloth.

That was _not_ the sweet cat Orihime had in mind.

They continued walking through the field until they came to the edge. Across the way, Orihime could see Michi dressed in a mini dress and bunny ear. She blew a kiss in Keitaro direction but he simply ignored it.

"Are you guys ready for your Halloween treat?!" Hatsuye shouted. "The race will start in three minutes, so place your bets now!"

Race…? This was a street drag race. This was unauthorized. This was… was dangerous!

Orihime looked up at Keitaro. "But… don't people crash in these races? What if someone gets hurt badly?" Not only could the driver get hurt but the innocent bystanders if they happened to crash into the crowd

But he wasn't paying attention. His eyes were sparkling, he was excited and ready and hungry. Two red and purple motorcycles were rolled into the middle of the road, each on either side of Hatsuye.

"I promise I won't get hurt." Keitaro said distractedly.

"What do you mean you won't..?"

Keitaro walked towards the bikes and got on the red one, Kensei was on the other, slipping on a yellow helmet and starting the engine.

It was hard to ignore the wink Hatsuye sent Keitaro's way. It's been about two months since Keitaro and she began seeing each other, though they've never labeled each other… Orihime wondered if this made other girls think they had a chance. But it wasn't all their faults, it wasn't like Keitaro actually rejected them- he's been known for leading girls on.

Hatsuye lifted her arm with the green cloth high into the air and the crowd settled down. She let the cloth drop from her and waited for it to touch the ground, when it did, the race was on.

And in a flash, they were off.

Orihime tensed up. Anything could happen out there. It was dark, the only thing that could be seen was the headlights and the gleam from the wheels.

They zoomed around the old race track.

For Keitaro, it was the best feeling ever. He loved the rush, the _adrenaline_. The way it felt when the blood coursed through his veins. Between this and most girls he'd been with, it was better than sex.

It was a close one. Orihime's heart beat against her ribs, trying to bust through her skin. Kensei came in second.

The crowd cheered when Keitaro took off his helmet and surrounded him, chanting and praising him.

It was over just as fast as it started. Keitaro was smiling, glowing almost. He lived for this, for the thrill.

Michi hoped into his arm and kissed him.

Keitaro pushed her off. He was done with her, couldn't she understand that? He looked around for Orihime put she wasn't close. His eyes finally caught her fiery hair crossing the field to the front gates.

He continued to call her name as she walked away. He caught up and grabbed her shoulder. "Orihime, I won!"

"I don't care," she hissed coldly.

Keitaro stopped. "What's wrong?"

Orihime stopped too. "This is dangerous, Keitaro. You could have hurt yourself." She turned to face him. Though she needed to look up at him because of her smaller stature, she wasn't going to let his size intimidate her, or seduce her. "And why the hell are you letting other girls kiss you?"

"I've been doing for a long time and I've never crashed before." He said coolly. "And she kissed me, didn't you see?"

"I don't care. Promise me you'll stay away from places like this."

Keitaro sighed calmly. It only made her angrier. How could he be so nonchalant to her plight?

She banged her tiny fist onto his broad chest which honestly worked against her. She could feel her knuckles throbbing afterwards and she immediately regretted hitting him. "Promise!"

"Fine!" Keitaro lifted his hands in the air. "I'll stay away."

She just didn't believe him. He answered too lightly… too indifferent. Orihime wasn't about to spend another minute with someone who didn't care of he died participating in a reckless sport.

The crowd was still rowdy. They chanted Keitaro name into the air, beckoning him over. "Let me go collect my prize and I'll take you home."

"No, I'll find my own way home!" Orihime turned around and started across the field to the front gates.

"Don't be stupid." He shouted. But she continued anyway. How dare he… how dare he bring her all the way out here.

"Orihime, you don't even know your way back!"

Keitaro watched her stomp out of the race track and back in the direction they came. He could have gone after her, chased her down, tell her he'd take her home and the prize didn't matter… but he wasn't that type of guy. Keitaro jogged back to the crowd and grabbed his prize winning money and a warm beer.

* * *

**Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 5:32:14 PM**

* * *

Arashi patted the cigarette butt on the concrete until the embers died down.

Kenta watched the smoke swirl and writhe in the evening air.

Daichi and Goro picked at road kill they found on the main road. The badger died a terrible death, as do most. It only sickened him that his friends would take it a step further, manipulating it, disrespecting its body. Hadn't the car done enough?

Arashi flicked the butt across the blacktop.

"I'm hungry," he said as he hoped off the ledge.

The group walked away from the court, crossing a few streets until they made it in front of the Discount Corner Shop.

Arashi, the fifteen year old, pulled out another cigarette. He placed a hand on Kenta's chest before they all could enter the store. "Kenta, how old are you?" he asked.

Arashi raked a hand through his slick, sandy colored hair. His thin blue eyes slit and looked Kenta up and down.

Arashi was of a different kind, truculent in nature, defying every rule ever thrown at him. Kenta admired that about him, how he took authority head-on. But he also feared him, knowing that if he ever betrayed him or went against him, he would pay gravely.

Kenta gulped. He looked around at all of the faces, from Ren, to Arashi, to Goro and Daichi, and back to Arashi again. "I'll be fourteen come April."

Arashi pulled out a lighter. "You're still a kid, you're not that suspicious."

"You have a baby face" Ren added, snickering.

Kenta's cheeks turned red. Yes, they were a little full, not nearly as full as Kioko's, but still, very noticeable. He would grow out of it one day, he knew he would. It was a stupid gene inherited from his stupid mother.

"I'm hungry." Arashi said again. His cupped his hand in front of the lighter so the wind wouldn't blow it out. "I'm feeling… a bag of _Skittles_ and an iced tea. Lemonade if they're out."

The fifteen year old's eyes flickered from the glass door to Kenta and back.

The color drained from Kenta's cheeks.

He knew what he's been asked to do. He was being told to steal. To _steal_. Never had he done it… but… what would happen to him if he chickened out now? He didn't want to end up like the dorks at lunch that had their mash potatoes and gravy flipped in their face and their money stolen…

So he entered the tiny store. Mr. Wakahisa, the owner was a nice man. He remembered his mother stopping in and chatting with him from time to time. They even took care of his pet dog, Duchess, a cocker spaniel, when he and his wife left town for a weekend.

And now he was going to steal from him.

"Hey Kenta!" Mr. Wakahisa smiled as he bagged up a sell for another customer.

"Hi, Mr. Wakahisa."

"How's your mum and your sis?"

"Good…"

Kenta rounded a corner. He turned to the snack aisle where he found the skittles and shoved a bag in his back pocket.

Kenta's heart beat. What would happen if he got caught? His mother would surely hear about it and then he'd be dead.

Kenta walked to the back of the shop. He quietly opened a refrigerator door and slipped a glass bottle of iced tea into his jacket.

His body was aflame! What was this? This… this… what this what they called _adrenaline_? It made him more aware… his ears sparked, his eyes boggled, he became alert to every creak his sneakers made against the tiled floors.

As he walked out, he didn't make eye contact.

"Ah, Kenta?"

"Yes, Mr. Wakahisa?"

Kenta was sweating. His palms were clammy and his brow was wet. Mr. Wakahisa knew something was up, he had to. That or he was a bumbling idiot.

Kenta could feel his eyes travelling up and down his body. Yeah, he was dead for sure.

The boy readied himself for consequences of his actions. If he admitted his wrongdoings and apologized now he knew there was a chance for this not to reach his mom. Kenta stood up straight and opened his mouth.

Mr. Wakahisa smiled widely. "Tell your mum I said hi!"

Kenta stepped out of the store, and immediately a strong feeling swelled in his chest. Arashi praised him as they walked away from the store, eating _Skittles_ and passing around the bottle of iced tea.

Kenta couldn't explain the feeling… the overwhelming feeling of joy? Relief? Whatever it was, it felt good. Being bad… it felt good.

The adrenaline rushing through his veins, the uncertainty of not making it out alive… he had never felt such substance... Such belonging.

Ren slapped him on the back as his stained teeth munched on purple and green _Skittles_.

Kenta grinned sheepishly, taking the iced tea from Goro and chugging down a gulp or two.

Whatever the feeling was, he wanted to feel it again, and soon.

* * *

**Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 5:46:09 PM**

* * *

Mrs. Yoshitaka clapped her hands to the beat as Anka played the piano in the corner of the room.

_"__Front, back, front, back, front, back, plié and other side."_

_Kioko stood up straight, extending her leg to the front, to the back, and to the front again._

_"__Plié, and other side. Ikuya, breathe!"_

_Ikuya's twin, Irie, giggled. Mrs. Yoshitaka sent her a death glare from across the room, silencing her. Kioko didn't blame Ikuya. Mrs. Yoshitaka was harsh, even during warm ups and cool downs. The only one she wasn't harsh on was Mina, the golden child._

_"__Plié, fifth to second, hold and hold."_

_Kioko turned her feet outwards and pulled them back in until they were closely one in front of the other._

_"__Reina, hold the last count. I won't say it again." Mrs. Yoshitaka walked through the aisles of girls, continuing to clap her hands to the beat. "Mina, beautiful extension."_

_Kioko kept up, moving her foot from fifth into second with ease, but… something was off._

_"__Naomi, don't be late."_

_Naomi, the girl in front of her was moving too slow! She was beginning to throw Kioko off. The eight year old began to panic. Naomi began to speed up but it was too late, Mrs. Yoshitaka had become irritated, although anyone who didn't know the woman wouldn't be able to tell._

_The simply pursing of her lips was enough. And Naomi was a goner._

_Mrs. Yoshitaka clapped her thin, wrinkled hands. "Plié, yeah, and other side."_

As Kioko turned to the right, she caught a glimpse of Naomi's face. She looked like she was going to cry.

"Yeah, and that's it. We'll wrap up class with a grand _jeté." The teacher beckoned at the girl with the brown bob hair cut. "Mina, you go first."_

Mina began at the corner of the room. She skipped and bounded into the air, landing quietly and stopping in the center of the floor.

Mrs. Yoshitaka clapped rapidly. "Beautiful. Did you see that balance? That power?" Mina grinned but quietly the other girls groaned.

"Naomi, chop, chop."

Naomi began at the corner. Anyone of the other girls could see she wasn't going to make it. Her core wasn't vertical and her jump wasn't high enough.

Kioko could see the fear in her eyes as she slowly fell to the floor and landed on her bum.

Besides Anka playing the piano, the room was quiet. No one dared look at Mrs. Yoshitaka. Naomi stood and walked to the back of the line. "Kioko, yeah, you are next."

Kioko walked quietly to the corner. The girl breathed in, ran, gathering speed and hopped into the air. She landed and breathed out.

Mrs. Yoshitaka nodded in approval; she adjusted her left foot and tapped her shoulders so she stood up straighter. "A little heavy on the landing, yeah?"

Kioko nodded and returned to the line. Each girl did her part as they were called one by one.

"Naomi is dead meat." Mina whispered.

"Yeah…" Kioko watched Reina complete her grand _jeté. She stumbled a little at the landing, but caught herself. If it wasn't for that, the leap would have almost been as good as Mina's._

_The teacher waited until Anka finished playing the piano and clapped her hands again for attention. "The recital is only a few months away, yeah?" Mrs. Yoshitaka took her time looking at each girl's face. "I have yet to appoint a lead. You all still have a fighting chance. I will be watching closely."_

_Kioko became giddy inside. Last year and the year before that, only the older girls were allowed leads in the junior division. By now that she was older… she had a fighting chance!_

_The students went to their bags, taking off their slippers and slipping on their sneakers and shoes._

_Kioko knew her mother would probably be waiting for her outside like she usually did. Kioko knew she needed to practice harder and longer for that part. She wanted to be Mrs. Yoshitaka's variation of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It was the smallest part with the smallest amount of time on stage. But it made the biggest impact. Everyone remembered the Sugar Plum Fairy as they exited the recital. And Kioko wanted that part. __Needed__ that part. If not, she would not only be a disappointment to herself.., but to her father as well._

* * *

**Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 6:03:17 PM**

* * *

The old man threw his cane at the boys but it didn't reach far enough to cause any damage. "I'm tired of you hooligans running around my yard and kicking over my gnomes!"He shouted, wheezing at the loss of air.

Arashi climbed over the crocked fence, landing on the other side, the rest of the boys followed.

Goro kicked over a gnome with a red hat for good measure before hoping over the fence with the rest of them.

The old man hustled as quickly as he could to the fence but was too slow. "I'll get you! I'll call the cops and I'll get you! You stay out of my yard, you hear?!"

The boys could hear the old man's shouts fade away as they ran further and further away from his house.

They stopped three blocks away on a corner, coughing and breathing heavily.

Suddenly, Arashi pushed Daichi onto the ground, he kicked the fourteen year old in the stomach before Ren and Goro joined in.

Kenta stared, shocked. He wanted to stop Arashi, to tell him what he was doing was wrong. He wanted to help Daichi, but what would that make him? A punk? A pussy? Most of all, what would they do to him next after they finished off their first prey.

Meanwhile, Daichi shouted, begging them to stop kicking and punching him, begging and crying. "Please! My stomach! Ow!"

Arashi turned and glared at Kenta. He pushed his shoulder; bringing him back to the moment. "What's wrong?"

Goro and Ren stopped the beating to also stare at Kenta. "I…"

Ren folded his arms over his chest. "He knows the rules. Alarm the old man and you get beat!"

"Yeah!" Goro chimed in.

Daichi wiped the blood from his nose and stood.

"I just…" Kenta licked his dry lips.

Arashi stepped closer, the smell of the cigarette still fresh on his breath.

"…I just need to know what time it is…"

Ren pulled out his phone. "It's six."

Kenta turned around; he was going to be late. "I have to go."

Arashi grabbed his arm. "Hey! Where ya think you're going?!"

Kenta could still hear Daichi sniffling in the background. He didn't want to leave just yet, he didn't know what other monstrosities these boys were capable of… but they were all he had.

"To bang your mom." Kenta joked.

Arashi let go, stunned and Kenta ran.

"Not if I bang yours first!" he heard Arashi shout back as he turned the corner.

Kenta ran until he reached the park near the school. He ran to the blacktop and near the gate, behind a bush laid his backpack and his soccer duffel. The thirteen year old snuck into the school through one of the back doors. He knew they held various committees after school so getting to the bathroom was no problem. Inside, he changed into his black and white soccer uniform and ran back out.

He jogged two blocks away from the school before he began to walk. The soccer practice bus would have been dropping off the other guys by now so he always made sure to stay a few steps ahead of them.

Now, all he needed to do was wait.

Sure enough, at 6:20, his mother came pulling up with Kioko in the back seat.

Kenta entered the front seat. "Hey," His mother smiled. "I keep telling you that I'll pick you up at the field, you know it's a long walk home."

"I know…" The boy strapped himself in. "But it feels good to stretch out my legs…"

* * *

**Monday, November 1, 1999 at 9:53:28 AM**

* * *

Political Science…

Keitaro blew out hot air from his nostrils.

What a waste of time.

His father had opted him out for this class. Of course he planned to make his son a politician to further the family business. Keitaro rolled his eyes at the boring professor, explaining the logistics of funds for the incumbent and his or her likelihood of winning.

His life was laid out for him; this class was in the cards. As well as what job he'd have and what girl he'd marry and how many children he'd have and even when he'll retire.

But he didn't want to take this class. He didn't want to be a politician. Truth be told, Keitaro didn't know what he wanted to do, he just knew he didn't want to be here.

He didn't ask for this life.

He also never asked for someone like Orihime.

She was too good for him, he knew that.

He knew…

Keitaro smirked.

He knew nothing. For someone as smart as him, graduating at the top of his class even through smoking and drinking in bathroom stalls and playing hooky for the majority of the school year, he couldn't tell a girl his true feelings.

From since he could remember, when he saw something that he wanted he went after it. From a rattle, to a kiss. A few slick words and a wink here and there and it was his'. All his.

It was a bad habit. An _old_ bad habit.

Which was why he didn't want to use her. Obtaining his goal through the usual routine was boring; any other broad would fall for it.

But Orihime wasn't just anyone.

He'd never had to apologize before. His action led to consequences, but he'd never reap them. Someone, whether it was a teacher, friend, or parent, would always bail him out.

Even when he was once arrested at seventeen for a DUI and crashing his father's favorite car, it was all swept under a rug, hidden from the public and the local news papers, His father quickly paid for damages and any hospital bills, but no punishment was dealt.

Keitaro would just shrug his shoulders and continue on with life as if his transgressions didn't matter.

The class was dismissed. Keitaro threw his pens into the bottom of his bag and sauntered out of the class.

He didn't want to treat her like a humdrum transgression. She was more, way more. And he wanted to explore her, not destroy her…

Keitaro glanced at his watch. It was 10:03. Maybe if he jogged, crossed the courtyard and entered Fujimori Hall he'd find her there.

"Hi Keitaro!" A girl giggled as he passed by.

Keitaro ran by, fighting the urge to wink back. It was force of habit but he fought against it. The air was cooler, crisper, promising cold winter break. For some that meant quality family time at home… for Keitaro, it was the last thing he wanted.

The hall was a little crowded, but not enough to mask her fiery hair. He shouted her name a few times but she kept on walking.

The large black headphones in her ear could have explained why she didn't hear him, but he wasn't going to take that for an answer.

"Orihime." Keitaro clutched her shoulder, trying to slow her down but she shrugged him off.

The girl continued walking. He could tell she was nervous by the sudden rapid breathing and hurrying of the feet. He walked in front of her but she moved around him. He found it cute her attempts to evade him but he wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Hey, Orihime. Talk to me!" He stopped her for real this time, grabbing her by the torso, the way he always did, and pulled off her headphones. "About the other night…"

Her thin eyebrows pulled together. "What about it?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Keitaro gulped, but it wasn't enough. In order to get through this he would literally need to swallow his pride. If not, he'd lose her.

Orihime frowned and switched her textbook into the other arm. "I'm going to be late..," she whispered, slowly turning around and walking off into the opposite direction.

He knew full well that he should leave her alone. Maybe this was for the best… Girls like her; they didn't belong with guys like him. Though many have attempted, no one could tame him, no matter how hard they tried.

But he wasn't going to walk away now for he was in too deep. It was in his nature to see this through… an old habit he needed to break. And old habits die hard.

* * *

**Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 8:26:59 PM**

* * *

As per usual, Orihime spent the rest of the day in the dining room, which doubled as her office. She's use the extra room upstairs, which was the original plan, but she was bestowed with the gift that is Kioko.

She placed her pencil down, unable to concentrate, pushing both hands through her long hair. It really needed a cut, but she'd never forget the feeling when Keitaro said he liked it wavy and wild.

The woman could hardly focus on her work. She'd need to reread the reports. There was no way

Orihime looked at the clock on the wall. _8:30? Already?!_ Orihime sighed, exasperated. She'd have to order pizza again. This would be the fourth time in the past two weeks. It was her fault really, she should really had put away time for cooking meals. She loved to cook, especially from scratch. But for the past couple of years her time had dwindled between immersing herself in work, the children's activities, work, her own activities, and work; making dinner herself was no longer in the cards.

She ordered two pies, a whole cheese, a half sausage and a half pepperoni. When it finally arrived, it was the normal pizza guy, making a pass at her. Orihime just smiled and tipped him graciously and wished him a safe night.

Orihime placed the boxes on the table. Normally it was a free-for-all; they'd take their slices and go back to whatever they were doing before. But not today. Today they would eat like a family, they way they used to… before… the accident.

Orihime set the table, removed her work papers and poured three glasses of water.

Kioko came ambling in, watching her mother move around the table, curious. Her wide gray eyes darted back and forth. Her mother smiled and beckoned her to sit.

Kioko climbed into her chair as Orihime handed her daughter a napkin and placed a slice of pepperoni pizza on her plate. "I was thinking about making some biscuits tomorrow, would you like to help?"

Kioko shook her head. "I can't. I need the extra time to practice."

"That won't stop you from eating some." Kenta said as he walked in the dining room.

Kioko stuck her tongue out at her older brother. He was always picking on her; sometimes he would make her cry. Recently he's been changing. After the accident he was closed off, hardly spoke a word. And now all he did was ridicule and criticize leaving Kioko to wish he was silence once more.

Orihime pulled a single cheese onto her plate. "By the way, how was practice, Kioko?"

"..." Kioko shrugged. The eight year old pulled and lifted a pepperoni off of her slice, plopping them on the side in disdain. "…Fine, I guess."

"And Kenta?"

Kenta shrugged. "Whatever…"

Was it really this hard to communicate with her kids? But who could blame them. She hadn't sat down and had a real conversation with them in forever. Maybe a very serious conversation was long overdue, she had a history of brushing things under the rug. Especially if such confrontations resurfaced pain.

Kioko concentrated, continuing to pull the pepperoni off of her slice, making sure not to lift the precious cheese as well.

Orihime stared at her daughter, amused. "Is there something wrong with your pizza?"

Kioko's thick brows crumpled together. "I don't like the pepperoni."

Kenta popped a sausage in his mouth. "Then why'd you pick the pepperoni, stupid?"

Kioko slammed her hands on the table. "Because I like the taste and I don't like the way it looks!"

Kenta folded his arms. "I bet you'd rather have a PB&J sandwich."

The eight year old stood on her chair. "No! I'm not a baby anymore!"

Kenta swallowed his gulp of sausage pizza. "Yes you are!"

"Stop!"

Their mother rarely raised her voice, but when she did, they knew it was for real.

"Stop arguing." The mother picked up their plates, stacking them, half eaten pizzas and all. "Go get ready for bed."

Both children whined. "But Casual Soul Realm Assault Trip comes on tonight!"

"You should have thought about that before you began arguing with your brother."

"That's not fair!" Kioko stomped each foot, frustrated at her mother's willingness to give up. She always ran away from every fight, never resolving the issue.

Orihime stood in front of the kitchen sink. _Well, Kioko, life isn't fair…_ The mother sighed. "Get ready for bed." She turned on the faucet and watched as the water rinsed away the pizza sauce. "I won't say it again."

* * *

**Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 4:12:38 PM**

* * *

"Am I in your way?"

He actually wished she was closer.

She bent over in her jeans to pull a hot pan out of the oven. It was a small kitchen, so he understood her concern for being in her way.

There was something about a woman's neck was especially sexy. Her long, auburn ponytail gave him the perfect view, and it was driving him crazy.

Shūhei coughed and kicked his friend's foot.

Ichigo blinked. "Not at all."

"Distracted much?" Hisagi snickered quietly.

"Shut up."

They then lifted up the old exterior trim and installation from the door frame. The men lifted the old, broken door out of its frame and removed the hinges from the jam.

Shūhei dusted his hands off after tossing her old door on the back of his truck. "I gotta head out. Matsumoto needs me to pick her up from spinning class."

"Alright, I got the rest." Ichigo gave his a quick bro shake before thanking him for his help.

Back in the kitchen, Orihime placed all of the cooled biscuits on a plate she buttered the tops and handed one to Kioko who waited patiently for her afternoon snack. The girl zoomed off as soon as she got what she wanted. "Please, don't get crumbs on the floor!" The mother shouted after her.

"Did your friend leave?" Orihime asked as Ichigo walked back inside.

Ichigo watched her wipe down the counter and sink. "Unfortunately."

She frowned. "But I made biscuits."

She finished cleaning up she watched him drill and saw away at her doorway.

"Do you need help?"

Ichigo stood. Orihime doubted that she'd ever get used to his height. God… where did they breed men like him at?

"Can you hold my caulk?"

Orihime jaw dropped. Surely he wasn't talking about his… The woman looked down at the white tube attached to its gun-like contraption. Of course he wasn't talking about his… It wasn't as if it was really him in her dream last night… No, he couldn't have known what she dreamt up.

Orihime turned and lifted the plate off the counter. "Want my biscuit?"

Ichigo smirked and took a bite. He liked a woman who could keep up. It was entertaining and refreshing.

The man placed the remainder of his biscuit in his mouth and went back to work. He singlehandedly lifted the new door into place, something that blew Orihime's mind considering she knew how heavy the door was.

He used the screwdriver to attach the hinges to the shims to keep the door leveled and in place.

"I just want to apologize for the way I acted at the party to other night." Orihime's heart was beginning to beat fast.

"No need to. I was the one acting like a jerk." He dug around in his tool belt for another nail. "You thought I was a complete sleaze didn't you?"

"Not a complete sleaze," Orihime folded her arms and leaned against the wall. "But close to it."

The mother took a deep breath. "You know… I'm sure you've already eaten by now… But if you're still hungry, I'm free this weekend." Her heart was beating faster now, what was she in high school? "Maybe we can grab something to eat?"

"Oh…" Ichigo turned towards her but seeing his face was an answer in itself. "…I'm busy this weekend."

Orihime blinked. Suddenly everything seemed wrong… Was this what the sting of rejection felt like..? Not only that, but "I-I'm sorry I even asked."

"Orihime…"

The woman scurried out of the kitchen and into the small bathroom nearby. A thick knot had wedge itself in her throat. What was she thinking? It was all just witty banter and nothing more… why would someone like him… someone one so _smooth_… someone so…

Orihime shook her head and pushed a few loose pieces of hair behind her ear. She was a used towel, rode hard and put away wet with two children on her collar. Of course he wasn't really interested.

When she finally came out, he was backing up his tools. He opened and closed the door, demonstrating his work. "She should work smoothly." Ichigo grinned halfheartedly but she wasn't looking at him. "The cold air shouldn't seep through anymore."

The mother nodded, thanking him but refusing to make eye contact.

He wanted to say more, to explain himself, but it wasn't his place, at least, not anymore it wasn't. Now he was just a jerk that rejected her. "Call me if you need anything else." He showed himself to the door.

Orihime couldn't help but cry after the door closed.

* * *

**This chapter was actually twice as long, but I cut it in half because the length was ridiculous! So a few key moments that were supposed to be mentioned in this chapter will be written in the next. So stay tuned!**

**Rocka. **


	5. Hard Habits Pt 2

**A/N:** Classes have begun again and I was completely backed up with homework. I'm considering changing my schedule around since it's so jammed pack this semester :P. Also, I just wanted to point out real quick that Ichigo and Yuzu are not related in this story. They come from two separate families and backgrounds.

**Disclaimer: **These characters are not mine, except Keitaro, Kenta, Kioko, and all other OCs I have in store you guys!

Chapter 5: Hard Habits Pt. 2

* * *

**Monday, March 17, 2014 at 11:27:33 PM**

* * *

Orihime waddled up the steps, banging the laundry basket on every surface possible. Orihime hated these stairs. They were so narrow and it was always hard to walk up and down, especially with baskets of laundry in her arms.

She used her knee, turning the basket lengthwise, but it tumbled out of her grip, falling down the stairs, sprawling the freshly dried clothes everywhere.

Orihime plopped down, drained. "Dumb stairs", she muttered.

The woman looked down at her bare feet. Under them were dried white paint splatters, the color of the walls here that Keitaro painted. He tried… they all tried…

Orihime shook her head, trying to knock out all thoughts of _him_. It truly hurt to think of _him_ and everything that followed _him_. He had always trailed good and bad… and ugly.

She closed her eyes and was taken back, back to her last night with him. Remembering the way they bumped and buckled their way up the stairs. Orihime touched the old wooden banister recalling its cool texture that night, recalling the way he kissed her, the way he held her, the way he…

Orihime opened her watery eyes. Was that memory the good, the bad, or the ugly…?

No. There were other things to think about. Like getting dressed and picking up the fallen clothes. Orihime pt her mind to the task.

She quickly folded the laundry and drove off to work. She didn't make eye contact with anyone, she just quickly made it to her desk, and if she was quiet enough, she could pretend that she was in at the beginning of the day.

"Hey, he knows you're late!" Suzunami whispers. "He wants to see you in his office, now."

Her hands clenched into fist. Orihime fought the urge to scream. She had seen countless others saunter in here late as ever, and yet, he only kept tabs on her.

The mother cursed the day she ever scorned him. Now he was like a leech that wouldn't come off, no matter how hard she tugged.

Orihime stood and walked to his office. She had looked for other jobs, but the economy was in the tank. No one was hiring, and if you were dumb enough to get fired, then you're shit out of luck.

She opened the door to the big room. Ishida stood by the wide window, staring down at the busy street below. "You attendance worries me." He took a deep breath and turned on his heels to face her. "I can't set a bad example…"

'_Bad example', seriously? That was his excuse?_

Orihime sat in the chair facing his desk and folded her hands in her lap. She had apologized a million times for every little thing she's done wrong. She was once berated for wearing clothes that were too revealing. For goodness' sake it was white button up shirt! "What do suggest is done?"

"Protocol states to withhold your check...," He pulled out his chair and sat down. Orihime watched as his hand reached up to his face, adjusted his glasses the way he always did when speaking down to someone. "But… since I know you're supporting two children on your own, I'll look the other way."

Orihime smiled and began to stand. "Thank you, Uryuru-san."

Ishida cleared his throat. "As a matter of fact… I'll sign you up for overtime."

The woman nodded and continued to the door she had her hand on the handle when he called after her again.

"Orihime?"

"Yes, Uryu-san?"

Ishida stared for a moment. He looked down and away quickly before clearing his throat again. "…Never mind, get back to work."

Suzunami waited for her friend to sit at her desk before peeping over the wall. "How was it?"

Orihime sighed.

"That bad, huh?"

Orihime cringed at the strong toxic smell of nail polish in the air. "I just wish he wasn't so-"

"Creepy?" Suzunami offered.

The mother sighed again. "No… he's odd… a little misunderstood…"

"He treats you like crap but you still stick up for him?" Suzunami blew on her wet pink nails. "I've been late a thousand times and he's never given me slack."

Orihime shrugged. "What can I say?" If she was given overtime then that was that. Working was a good thing. Working kept her mind off the bad and the ugly. Like what happened earlier that morning.

Orihime shook her head, getting on with work. As the day progressed, she found it becoming harder and harder to concentrate.

Her mind was like a windmill, turning endlessly, flipping between thoughts and emotions. _Dammit_, she knew the morning would get to her.

Orihime closed her eyes and rested her chin in her palms. She imagined herself as _Maria Bello_ in _A History of Violence_ as she ran up the stair from a very angry _Viggo Mortensen_. She would have gotten away too, if it wasn't for his powers of seduction.

Her mind wandered more and more as Viggo's face slowly morphed into Keitaro's. Orihime reminded herself that she was at her job and not in private to keep from becoming too flustered but smiled as Keitaro pushed her roughly against the old wooden steps and held her down tight.

He pushed her legs aside roughly, pushed his mouth against hers in an urgent open mouthed kiss. This was just like him, rough and hungry. Orihime could only recall a handful of times where he was actually gentle. The first time they made love for one… and the last time too…

Keitaro unfastened his pants, wasting no time at all. He pushed her black panties aside and pushed himself inside. In true Keitaro fashion, he was fast and pounding. He kissed her mouth, her neck, her jaw and everything in between.

Slowly, but surely, the kisses became softer, as did his touch. The hands on her hips loosened their grip and the thumb began to make small lackadaisical circles against the soft skin there.

It was no longer dark thick hair she was gripping, but the spiky orangey kind. His moans sounded different, as did the touch of his mouth and tongue.

The woman held an old creaky stair behind her for leverage. She gasped as he continued to thrust into the new angle.

Orihime blinked. From across the room she heard someone sound a mucus-filled cough; at another desk someone was using a stapler. She was back to the present. A present without _him_.

What was wrong with her? He rejected her, didn't he? It's been a whole week and still he managed to snake his way into her mind. He obviously was playing with her and nothing more, just toying around to get his rocks off. She'd never speak to him, never ask him to help with household maintenance. Never ever, ever again.

But… she really needed to get those stairs fixed.

God, but how embarrassing would it be to call him again and ask for his help? It would look so needy and clingy and desperate and everything Orihime didn't want to be.

Orihime left his business card at home on her dresser, but she had stared at it long enough to know the number by heart.

The woman pressed the familiar numbers and brought the phone to her ear. She'd just call once, and if no one picked up, then that was that. She wouldn't call again- ever again. He would be clean out of her life and maybe she'd never get another distracting vision of him and her together.

It rang a second time, a third, a fourth. Orihime blew a sigh of relief, but she wasn't out of the blue yet. Before the fifth ringing stopped and a deep male voice answered.

"Hello?"

* * *

**Monday, March 17, 2014 Time: Unknown**

* * *

Kenta blinked, not exactly sure if he heard him correctly.

But Arashi stared back, pushing the cigarette in his face. "Here," he repeated. "You wanna smoke or not? Unless you're pussy."

"Yeah, I think he's a pussy." Ren flicked the dirt from under his finger nails, never passing up a chance to make fun of someone. "I could always smell it on him."

Goro rolled his eyes and kicked the soda can he finished off. "Like you know what pussy smells like?" It rattled nosily on the blacktop before rolling to a stop.

Ren chewed at the nail until it ripped off. He spit the remainder from his mouth. "I do. Hitomi showed me."

Goro jumped up, pushing Ren on the chest. "She did not!"

"Did too!" Ren shouted back, pushing the fourteen year old on the ground.

Lunch time. 12:30. It was the class they always skipped. While everyone was in the cafeteria, the group of boys snuck out past the soccer field and near the old basketball court in the corner of the blacktop, unseen, to smoke and drink soda.

In a prissy school like that, soda and cigarettes were not tolerated. Along with back talking, unbuttoned collars, and untucked shirts.

The two boys continued to push and roughhouse until they got tired of it.

Arashi pressed on, watching the schoolboy intensely with icy blue eyes. "Well… are you gonna do it or not?"

Kenta gulped. He took the small, crinkled cylinder between his fingers. Though he should have been used to the stench by now, since his father smoked when he was younger, he did eventually quit.

The thirteen year old bought it to his lips. Inhaled, breathing in the smoke that tickled the back of his throat. He held the smoke inside of him, making his head spin with lightness, before slowly opening his mouth, pouring the smoke out.

Arashi smacked his back, praising him. "Alright!"

Everyone jumped in on the festivities, congratulating Kenta for "growing a pair", everyone except Daichi, who just stared ahead. He wore a light cut on his cheek and bruises against his rounded belly. Goro joked that he was fat enough to not feel the pain at all.

Kenta smiled, giggling to himself. He wasn't the weak one anymore and would never be again. Daichi refused to smoke, to break, to destroy. He would only go along with destruction if necessary, like the roadkill, in order to stay amongst the ranks, in order to stay away from the dorks at lunch.

He was weak and outgrown.

Kenta looked out into the field. The boys could hear the bell ringing in the distance. Lunch was over. Kenta took another drag.

* * *

**Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 5:16: PM**

* * *

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to call back so soon."

"Yeah, well… when this house was brought it was fixer-upper… My husband did the best he could with installing the hardware floors in the hall upstairs, but…"

Ichigo unpacked his measuring tape. "I can fix those too if you'd like."

She stood out of his way, but close enough to watch his actions. He was wearing his norm, a pair of dark blue jeans and a T-shirt.

"I also have to admit that I'm glad you did call so soon."

She perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah, I was worried about one of the trees in your backyard." She deflated a little inside. "It's dying and its branches are a potential hazard. I know some guys who can take it down for you."

"I tell the kids to stay away from it anyway…" she mumbled.

What was she expecting him to say exactly? He was only here to fix the stairs at that's it. Hadn't he made it clear how he felt?

It only took a few more minutes before he was done his examination. He put the tape measure away and came to his feet.

"What needs to be done, exactly?"

"Exactly?" Ichigo took a few steps back from the staircase. "In order to make the stairs less steep, I'll need to make the treads deeper. But if you want wider stairs, you have two options; one of these walls will have to go down, which I wouldn't recommend, or we can remove the banister and handrail and widen the steps in the other direction."

The mother folded her arms. "So… how much will this be?"

Ichigo pulled out a notepad and drew a big circle on it. He handed it to Orihime but she just stared. "I don't…"

The man placed his hands in his pockets. "It's on the house… literally, if you come to dinner with me tonight."

Orihime was speechless. Her stomach bounced and danced like a shaken bottle of soda. She was going to explode with happiness.

"So… if I say no do I still have to pay?"

Ichigo slowly smiled. All was forgiven. "I'm hoping you won't." The wait was torture. The woman stood considering. "Come on, I'm starving!"

Orihime tried hard not to smile, but she lost her battle. "I would love to go to dinner with you tonight."

The man picked up his tool box. "Okay, wear something nice."

She opened the door for him. "It's a date."

After the door closed, Orihime did a tiny dance.

Kenta stood at the top of the staircase, shaking his head in disapproval. "Are you really going on a date with a repairman?"

The mother rolled her eyes. "He's a contractor."

* * *

**Tuesday, November 2, 1999 at 1:10:56 PM **

* * *

"He's a complete mess!"

Mahana grabbed her red lipstick from off the desk and slathered it on her lips. "How dare he just… let you walk off like that?!" The eighteen year old smacked her lips together and puckered. "If I had sex with every guy with amazing pecks and abs that came up to talk to me, I'd be pregnant!"

Orihime tried to ignore Mahana's self-centeredness as she studied for her next test on Thursday. Sadly, most teachers liked to crank out the test before the holidays much to Orihime's displeasure.

"We've never had sex." Orihime said plainly.

"You still haven't had sex with Keitaro Sato?" Mahana turned away from her mirror, mascara in one wand and the lipstick in the other.

Orihime always thought she looked a lot better without makeup, but, to each their own. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Mahana walked over to the closet they shared. It was big enough to host the both of their stuff, but Mahana had more clothes then her, so Orihime was content with folding hers up in a few boxes under her bed. "Orihime… he's notorious for 'hitting and quitting'." The girl pulled out a shirt and then another and examined them on her body in the long mirror hanging on the door. "Are you purposely holding out on him?"

"I'm not 'holding out' on him… I'm just… I don't know…"

Orihime put her pencil down. It was hard enough trying to study with this party-girl always hanging around her. Now they were talking about sex? Of course she couldn't concentrate!

Mahana walked over to the desk her friend was sitting at. She stood over her and placed her hands on her shirtless hip. "Are you a virgin? Do you even know what a penis looks like?!" she nagged.

"Mahana! I know what a penis looks like!" Orihime grabbed her textbook and sat on her bed. "And yes, I have had sex."

She didn't even want to think about her awkward run-in with Keigo Asano again…

Mahana went to her mirror again and decided her skirt wouldn't do. She slipped it off and grabbed a pair of high waisted jeans from her top shelf "… Do you know what Keitaro Sato's penis looks like?"

Orihime flipped a page in her text book, ignoring her. "Mahana, this conversation is over."

"I bet it's thick and manly… and thick." Mahana giggled. "You have to tell me what it looks like when you get the chance."

"Have you been listening? I'm not seeing him again. Now he can hang out with Hatsuye or Michi or whoever he likes." Orihime rolled her eyes. "Obviously I was holding him back from amazing sexcapades and late night romps."

Mahana walked to the dresser near the window and picked out a bracelet. "Oh! Speak of the devil!"

Rev of the engine was unmistakable. Mahana opened the window and watched Keitaro get off his motorcycle and take off his helmet.

"Orihime!" He shouted. "I know you know I'm out here!"

Mahana giggled and waved to the guy below. "Hi Keitaro!"

"Hi…" Keitaro planted his helmet on the seat and walked closer to the building. "Is Orihime up there?"

Mahana nodded. "Yup." She turned and looked at Orihime who was pretending to be engulfed in her textbook. "He wants to know if you're here," Mahana whispered.

Orihime shrugged and flipped another page. "Tell him to go away."

Mahana stuck her head out the window again. "She wants to know how big you ding dong is!"

"Mahana!"

Keitaro smiled, his deep dimples making a quick apperance. He knew full well that Orihime would never ask something so vulgar. She was too modest. "Can you tell her that I'm really sorry and that I feel like a complete idiot?"

Tell her that being on this bike gives me a rush…" Mahana could hear Orihime suck her teeth in annoyance. "But being with her gives me the best rush in the whole world… I've never felt more alive than when I am with her."

Mahana gave a classic "aww", but Orihime wasn't buying it.

"Can you also tell her that I'd love to take her out tonight? Maybe around eight?"

Orihime slammed her book shut and marched to the door. "Never in a million years. Never again!" but Mahana covered her mouth with her hands and stuck her head out the window again. "She'd love to!" Mahana shouted as she continued to keep her friend at bay until Keitaro had driven away, out of sight.

Orihime removed her hands from her mouth. "What was that for?"

"Like you were going to say no anyway." Mahana slipped on a shirt and added another bracelet to her outfit. "I did you a favor."

"He's just going to use me, like he has done other girls…" Orihime plopped down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Why was it that whenever she was with him or even thought about him, he mind boggled?

"Weren't you listening?!" The girl looked up at her friend. "You're not like other girls! What anyone other girl in this campus would do to go out on a date with Keitaro Sato and you're holding out on him!"

"I am not holding out!"

Mahana crossed her arms. "Then why haven't you had sex yet?"

Now that was a question. If he did 'hit and quit' as Mahana said, then why hadn't he 'hit and quit' on her?

They've never had sex… they've never discusses 'titles'… they've never seen each other without clothes on or have even been in each others' room.

Maybe she was different then most girls. Maybe he just wasn't sexually attracted to her… but then why did he kiss her all the time?

Orihime touched her neck. She wore her hair down all week to cover the hickey he gave her.

It was definitely food for though.

Mahana walked to the door, placing her hand on the doorknob. "Maybe you should ask him, tonight at eight o'clock. Wear something tight!"

* * *

**Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 8:46:59 PM**

* * *

"Wow," Orihime breathed. "I can't believe you got us into a place like this…"

Ichigo grinned, pushing her into her chair. "I know the owner."

It was a beautiful dining hall, with wide chandeliers and cream colored table linens.

Orihime picked up her menu. "You know a lot of people…"

The man shrugged as he returned to his seat. "What can I say?"

Orihime eyes widened at the menu. Whole Roasted Maine Lobster, Grilled Salmon with Hibiscus Sauce and Scallops … 49.00… 61.00… 109.00? For grilled salmon and scallops? Her mind boggled. She peeked over her tall menu at Ichigo who stared down at his own coolly. He must take woman here all the time… Their waiter, a man with a slick ponytail and a name tag with Ai written on it, approached the table with a bottle of red wine and asked their decisions for the night. "Orihime, would you like an appetizer?" Ichigo asked. Orihime shook her head vigorously from behind the tall menu. "No, I'm fine." "What will it be tonight, ma'am." Ai, asked patiently. Her heart beat faster. She didn't want to empty his wallet. So she picked the only thing on the menu below the price of 40.00.

"I'll have the orange seitan." Orihime handed the waiter the menu and Ichigo did the same. "And I'll have the steak."

Ichigo smiled. "Seitan, I didn't know you where vegetarian."

Seitan is vegetarian. Of all the things to order she chosen something vegetarian.

"Um…" Orihime could tell the truth. Then she'd just look dumb because she didn't know what seitan means… Or you could lie and look edgy, he must date edgy girls all the time. Like 5'11 models with very long legs… Orihime needed to look edgy. She needed to look cool, like a cool mom like Gwen Stefani or Sandra Bullock. God, Orihime _loved_ Sandra Bullock. She is every woman.

Besides… her hips were looking big anyway, have two kids was not an excuse.

"Um… yes!"

The food came quickly. Orihime looked on enviously as Ai planted his steak with creamy mushroom sauce and a side of roasted asparagus in front of him. While she… she got a blob of brown stuff. Orihime didn't know what it or what it was trying to be. Whatever it was doing, she didn't want to put it in her mouth.

Ichigo looked up. "Are you enjoying your meal?"

Orihime chewed on her steamed vegetables and brown rice slowly, completely avoiding the seitan. "…It's very vegetarian."

She put her fork down. So many different smells where hitting her at once. Ichigo's steak and asparagus, the smell of chicken coming from the kitchen, especially that lady's salmon on the next table over… Maybe if she caused a scene or tripped and fell on her she could get a taste…

"You wanna grab a burger?"

Burger? Did someone say burger?

She turned to see Ichigo watching her. She was caught red-handed staring at someone else's plate. Orihime wanted to bury herself under the table. How embarrassing.

"Huh?" she asked innocently. But it was too late and too little. The proof was in the pudding… or the seitan… or whatever the hell the expression was. She had hardly touched his food, and honestly, he had hardly touched his'.

"I'm in the mood for a burger. I'm sure we can find a good food truck somewhere in the city." Ichigo smiled.

Orihime smiled back. "Yes please… I would really like that."

The woman had to say, he did clean up nicely. Honestly, she wouldn't have minded if he showed up in his faded jeans and a T-shirt, but his tailored suit wasn't a bad step up.

It only made her feel that much worst when she took him away from his snazzy dinner and fancy dining.

"Don't feel bad, really. I don't normally eat out like that anyway." Ichigo handed the vendor the money and waited until he finished cooking. "Honestly, I just wanted to give you a good impression."

The chef handed them their burgers and the couple walked away from the vendor. She took a big bite and swooned. Her stomach was growling terribly, so they stopped by the first food cart they found and prayed they sold burgers. "I believe burgers are the best impressions."

They walked around downtown. It was nice inside the city but she never stuck around to actually see it. Her job was a few blocks away, though she had never been on this side before. Her days revolved around her children's' activities and her job. And that was it.

"I guess this means you're not a vegetarian."

Now she felt like a pig. "No… sorry for lying." He guided her into a park. They sat down on the closet bench. A few feet away, a carousel lit up the night, playing a soft lullaby. "I just wanted to be like the other girls you date."

Ichigo bit into his burger, mulling over what she said. "The other girls I date?"

"Yeah… like supermodels and stuff…" Orihime felt stupid now for being so insecure and especially immature.

Ichigo inhaled deeply. Orihime cringe silently inside. He probably though she was a total ditz now…

"I dated a model once… Not as awesome as everyone thinks it is…" He chewed, thinking. "The sex could have been better."

"Oh!" The mother began to giggle at his unexpected confession. "Well I've never dated a model before so I wouldn't know."

The carousel spun slowly, creating bright dancing orange and pink hues on the ground. The sun was nearly down, it all somehow magically blended into his orangey hair, melding into each other like a dripping painting.

Orihime lowered her burger, no longer hungry. "So… what was it that you needed to do last week?"

Ichigo placed his burger on the bench too, though it only had a few bites left in it. "I… I had a prior engagement. There was some business that needed to be taken care of, some loose ends that needed tying. That's all really."

"Oh… in other words…"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's in the past and now I can move on." The sound of music grew in another direction. Down the parkway a large group of people were accumulating. Ichigo grabbed Orihime's hand, leaving his burger behind. "Come on."

They approached the ruckus, holding hands. It was a street performance. Two men and a woman played various drums. People dropped bills and coins into a nearby bucket, others danced to the tune while some stayed and watched.

Ichigo looked down at his date. "May I have this dance?"

Some couples were rocking side to side. Orihime even watched an older couple take to the bricked floor.

She shook her head nervously, "I'm not really good at this type of stuff."

Ichigo held out his large hand. "I'll let you in on a little secret- no one really is."

The mother lifted a brow. "So you're telling me they all wing it?"

He smiled his crooked smile. "The best ones do."

Convinced, she took he hand. They kept it simple with a two-step and a rock, but there was something more going on, something not so simple and a tiny dance. Something was going on beneath the skin, something Orihime couldn't describe.

"Keep it PG, okay?" she whispered.

Ichigo scoffed, offended. "Why I'm the perfect gentleman." He made sure that his hand rested on her back and no where lower.

Orihime rested her head on his chest, sighing. She hadn't been close to someone like this in a long time. And hadn't known that she yearned for it either.

* * *

**Friday, November 5, 1999 at 7:58:24 PM **

* * *

She didn't want to admit it, but she did try to slip into one of Mahana's short skirts… sadly, it didn't end well. Now, Orihime knew her measurements weren't that of a Victoria's Secret model, like Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, or Gisele Bundchen. But she was content with her body, wide hips and all.

So when he came knocking on her door, at eight o'clock sharp, might she add, she quickly picked her old collared dress and a matching headband.

The dress was tight, not like how Mahana suggested, but it hugged her curves a little, the way a small black dress should.

She stepped out of the dorm and into the cool night air. Across the lawn was Keitaro wearing his infamous leather jacket and equally devilish smirk. "You look nice." His eyes glazed over her body approvingly as he leaned against his classic red Camaro.

"Thank you."

You see, she didn't want to give in too easily. She's already thought it over and as a man who always gets what he wants, she'd make sure he'd earn her forgiveness. "Make him grovel and pay!" were the words of wisdom from her friend. Orihime didn't know about 'groveling', but for sure make him pay. But in a nutshell, she had already forgiven him.

He took a bow and pointed towards the car behind him. "Your chariot awaits m'lady."

Once she got in, they sped off. There wasn't even enough time to put her seatbelt on. The windows were down and cold air ran inside, ruining the hair she spent an hour straightening. Keitaro smoked a cigarette leaning his hand out of the frame and tapping on the butt. When they came to a red light, he flicked the butt out and handed her his jacket without a word.

They drove downtown, avoiding major traffic. Keitaro slowed, coming to a stop in front of a redbrick apartment.

Orihime thought for sure they'd end up a small party or a club of some sort.

Keitaro led her inside and up to the third floor.

It was a nice sized apartment. Standard with a bedroom a living room, kitchen and bathroom. Orihime remembered hearing a rumor that Keitaro's dad ordered the most expensive dormitory on campus for his son, but Keitaro refused, insisting he'd buy his own living quarters with his own money.

This was without a doubt Keitaro's home. A bookcase with stacks of books, a black leather couch, vintage racing posters, and a tiny black and white photo of Marilyn Monroe .Outside on the small balcony sat a lawn chair and an ashtray.

Keitaro stayed in the living room, picking up the telephone and dialing as Orihime continued to travel and explore.

His kitchen was stocked with dirty dishes and boxes and trays of frozen dinners. Orihime was no neat freak, but something needed to be done about those. She made it a mental note as she opened the door to his bedroom.

She crept in, still aware of his inaudible conversation on the phone. She flicked on the light. It smelled like him, no not the cigarettes, but like _him_, what lay underneath. It was homier, it wasn't a front. It wasn't a leather couch or an old red sports car, it was knickknacks and pictures.

On his desk sat a picture of him and his sister, Tatsuki- she had only heard great things from, if she even heard anything at all, another photo was of him and Renji, his best friend. The lamp was on and a book and a few handwritten notes lay opened. Orihime leaned over and peeked.

Keitaro cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem."

Orihime jumped. She squeezed the leather jacket tightly in fright.

He leaned against the bedroom doorframe.

She folded her arms, to remain aloof. "Remind me why I'm here."

He closed the distance between them and stood over her. "I ordered takeout, I hope you like platters."

Her eyebrows lifted. Not only was she allowed to penetrate his safe haven, but she was also allowed to stay. "We're staying in?"

Keitaro blew out hot air, slowly bringing her arms to his neck. "That's depends on if you stay."

She made no protest when he directed her limbs and proceeded to wrap his arms around her torso.

"If I stay depends on what you say next."

Keitaro nodded, smiling a little so his dimples made an appearance. "Alright.., I'm sorry."

Orihime shook her head, he now windblown hair waved behind her messily. "No. You can do better than that."

The back of his hand went up and touched her cheek. Her skin prickled at the cool metallic class ring he always wore. "Sorry…" Keitaro waited a few seconds before leaning in for a kiss.

It was surprising slow and soft- the opposite of everything Keitaro embodied- and it took her breath away. It was slow but hungry. She could taste the urgency in his tongue, the urge to go overboard, to lose his mind- she knew she was about too- for goodness' sake his bed was right there!

But he slowly withdrew, sucking on her bottom lip before completely departing.

There was a quick rapping on the front door. "Dinner's here."

* * *

**Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 9:33:05 PM**

* * *

They sat down at a bench near the performers. Ichigo gave them a generous donation and bought the duo cotton candy cones.

They discussed their likes and interest and even their dislikes. She talked about her job and he spoke of his and how rewarding it was and how many connections you build with people around the world. He loved to travel and help people in other countries.

And yes, he most definitely was the type of man that dated models.

"Wow… you've done so much more than me." Orihime picked at her cotton candy cone. "All I've done is end up in boatloads of debt and two kids." She watched as her wet fingers made the pink cotton sizzle and writhe into tiny knots of sugar. "I wish I've done half of what you've done by the time I was thirty."

Ichigo smiled, he even chuckled, amused at her confession. "Actually… I'm not even that."

Orihime looked up. "Not even what?"

"I'm not even thirty."

As if a rock was sent hurling through glass, her world came crashing down.

Right then and there in the tiny park with the dancing, the performers, and the cotton candy everything was destroyed and sour.

"You're not even thirty…?" she repeated.

"I'm twenty-eight."

The thirty-three year old woman blinked, her cone slipped from her hand but Ichigo caught it before it could hit the ground. "I… I…think I need… I need to go home" she stuttered.

"Orihime, is something the matter?" Ichigo stood and walked after her. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Her eyes stared on; she stopped as if in a trance. Suddenly the sugar was sour, the music was bad, the subtle music was blaring. Everything was ruined. "No. You didn't offend me. I just want to go home. Take me home, please."

Ichigo didn't ask any questions. They walked back to his Mercedes at a parking lot a block away quietly. The drive was even worse. The only thing that could be heard was the hum of the wheels on asphalt.

"I had a really nice time." Ichigo started as he pulled up to her house.

The lights were on. Yuzu, the thirteen year old next door neighbor, was in charge as usual, most likely playing games with Kioko while Kenta sulked upstairs in his room. This was her norm. Yet, as he sat next to her, he managed to make it something twisted in her mind. She needed to get away from him.

The thirty-three year old nodded. "Mmhmm…"

"I hope you enjoyed yourself also."

She looked down at her small black clutch. "I…" Orihime looked up at him with wide, sad, gray eyes. "I _did_."

Ichigo frowned, disappointed in himself. He unlocked the car doors got out, walked around and let her out.

"I'll be around tomorrow at noon to finish the job."

* * *

**Friday, November 5, 1999 at 9:05:25 PM **

* * *

It took everything in him to kiss her slowly.

Impatience clawed at him. If this was any other girl he'd get it over with, do what he wanted, his way, not questions asked, and leave. But those habits needed to be suppressed.

They had finished dinner and were watching an old gangster movie that neither one was paying attention to.

They were going to fuck tonight. He knew it, she knew it… it was only a matter of who made the first move.

His hand was stroking her thigh and her, his chest as they kissed.

He wouldn't rush it. He'd take his time, slowly, savoring each second inside of her… _Fuck!_ He was going to lose his mind if he didn't get a piece of her soon.

His first instinct was to pull all her clothes off and go to town, but she was fragile good. He needed to be careful, even if this would be the only time to do so.

She adjusted her seat on the sofa so she was under him. They continued to kiss but she broke it off. "Do you have any… you know?"

Protection. Condoms were never on his grocery list when he went to the store- _if_ he went to the store. The only time he remembered to actually go into a store and buy more food was when he ran out of cigarettes.

"I'll be careful." He whispered. Keitaro rolled her dress over her head. Now only the thin fabric of her underwear and his jeans and boxers were the only things keeping him from complete and utter bliss.

Her body wriggled uncomfortably against the leather. It was hot and sticky and could only look forward to becoming hotter and stickier.

He ran a hand down her side, appreciating every dip and curve. And she had plenty of those. From the nip of her waist to her rounded hips and full breast, his hands danced in wonderment.

This was the stuff of wet dreams. There was no way a goddess like here actually walked the planet. And to think she was under him of all people.

His penis pushed against the opening of his jeans. God, if it was anyone else, he'd have them in the throes of pleasure by now. In fact, he'd been done an hour ago and would be on the balcony, smoking a cig. But this was Orihime, this was his woman, and not someone else's that he'd just throw away.

His hand concentrated on her thighs again. Moving to the soft peach colored flesh on her inner thighs. She watched intensely his every move. He could feel the heat emanate from core.

He lightly played with the thin black fabric. It was moist and warm, a lot wetter than he expected. He tripped his forefinger over the tight knot. She jumped in response as if she'd never been touched there before.

Oh, Orihime was no virgin, he knew that, but she could fool anyone else out on the street. Those wide innocent eyes, her windblown hair, wild and red, and that little black dress had been driving him crazy all night. He had shown such restraint. How proud of himself he was. But now he had waited too loud, and his penis pounded against his jeans begging for release, even for a little fresh air. _You'll get it soon, very soon._

Keitaro pushed two fingers inside. In and out, slowly at first, then he sped up. Her breath caught. She dug her fingers into his shoulder and arched her back. Her nipples strained against their lacy cage, swelling and twisting in the cold apartment air. Keitaro bent and lave one and then the next only to have the raise higher as the icy cold air stung harder.

She was almost silent. Almost. The mewling and whimpering began soon. Whoever she had sex with the first time hadn't done it right. She was responding to every moment, every thrust, pinch, and flick.

Orihime gyrated against his hand, helping him hit the most sensitive spot. Her hips had a mind of their own as they bucked and danced. Finally, finally she found release against his fingers.

Keitaro smiled and kissed her. Orihime's body began to relax. Her wild hair framed her rounded face perfectly. It was a scene too beautiful to disturb. But his little friend had other plans.

Keitaro unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down along with his boxers. His cock sprang free. The little guy had a mind of his own, always. He heard her gasp. Her body began to tense again.

"I'll go slow." He whispered. "I won't hurt that much then."

She nodded, biting her bottom lip unsure.

Keitaro entered her slowly. She wrapped around him like hot wet velvet. Silky and tight. Her thighs clenched around his hips. He took his time, building her up, higher and higher.

It was hot and sleek and everything a woman should be. Keitaro fought the urge to move faster, pump into her without abandon. He wanted to give himself over to his primal instincts, as habit served, he would lose control any at any second.

Her caged nipples chaffed against his bare chest, crying for attention. He went back down and kissed the tiny erect peaks.

She wrapped her legs around him and clung on tight. She arched further off the hot, sticky leather allowing the cool air to tickle her sweaty back. The combination of cold and the heat and friction coming from between their bodies was the rawest sensation. She was all wet around him, making it easier for him to come in and out steadily.

Orihime was moving towards something. She didn't know what a climax was; she had never experienced one before. She didn't know what it was called or even what would happen, but she crawled for it, needed some sort of peak of pleasure to such a vigorous activity. She couldn't believe what she'd been missing out on.

Her sex pulsated and her pelvic muscles clenched around him. She squeezed tighter and tighter until there was hardly any more space to move. Her eyes closed. Her body stilled and dropped.

She orgasmed. He wanted to feel it again. He wanted to be in her again when it happened. It wasn't soon after that he came too, too wrap up in her to actually pull out in time.

Keitaro waited until her body and mind equal themselves out. He wiped sweaty strands of hair from his face and rewarded her with an opened mouth kiss, disregarding how out of breath she was. "How do you feel?"

The eighteen year old took a deep breath. There was only one word to sum of the feeling she held inside. A combination of complete relief and joy… A feeling that spread from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.

Orihime rolled her head from shoulder to shoulder, smiling. She looked to her up and smiled at him. "Happy."

* * *

**Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 11:26:42 PM**

* * *

The children were put to bed, Yuzu was paid though she insisted not to be, the dress was hung up, the shoes were kicked off. And now what were left were Orihime and her thoughts.

For the life of her she couldn't give herself an excuse for why she ran away. It was cowardly and rude and everything in between.

Why did she run? Was it really because of him? Or was it because at that age… at age twenty-eight… Keitaro and her divorced?

At that moment she saw him, the twenty-eight year old Keitaro, angry, lost, and abandoned… All because of her.

It was always her instinct to run away. It was self-preservation to duck and hide. It was in her nature to run… an old habit she needed to break. And old habits die hard.

* * *

**I'm planning on exploring Keitaro and Orihime's relationship more. You guys have to find out why they gotten a divorce, heck, you guys have to find out why they got married! I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say!**

**Stay tuned.**

**Rocka.**


	6. Losing You

**A/N: **Real life got in the way the last two weeks. Thank God it's Sunday because I finally found the time to edit and update! Yeah!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach.

Chapter 6: Losing You

* * *

**Thursday, February, 10, 2000 at 9:07:42 AM**

* * *

Renji shook the box until the Frosted Flakes poured into the bowl. He unscrewed the top of the carton and showered the cereal with cold milk.

The redhead grabbed his bowl and a spoon and drifted back to his spot on the leather couch. The smell of coffee filled the air as it brewed from the counter.

The couch was like his second home. Especially on the nights were Rukia was over his apartment. Even more so when they had arguments and he needed somewhere to cool off.

What did they argue about? He honestly couldn't remember by now. He just needed to get out of there at the time.

Everything she did was annoying. He wasn't talking about the way she spoke or walked or chewed or anything tedious like that. But when he was with her, he felt like there were better things to be doing. Better people he could be with.

Don't get him wrong, he loved Rukia… but there was always something… someone else…

The bedroom door creaked open. She crept out on her toes. Her white buttoned down hang loosely open, and she held a pair of pants in her hands. Renji's eyes travelled up her legs, to her pink panty, and up the fiery trail her hair led to the top of her head. She slowly closed the door behind her and turned.

"Oh!" Her face went from red to pink to red again. She slipped on her black slacks hurriedly and zipped the front. "Hey Renji." Orihime whispered.

He silently watched her walk to the kitchen area. Her back to him, she buttoned up her shirt.

"Can you tell Keitaro that I'm late for work? I forgot that I switched shifts with Sam. He always gets more hours than me." Her nose wrinkled at the smell of coffee. She never understood the appeal to the beverage. It taste like tar and looked like it too. Orihime opened a cabinet or two and closed them disappointedly. She checked the refrigerator and pulled out a bitten bagel. It would do.

"Um…" The redhead swallowed. He tasted soggy cereal and desperation slide down his throat. "S-sure" he croaked then quickly cleared his throat.

"Thanks Renji!" She slipped on her jean jacket and headed towards the door. "Oh, and… can I ask you another favor?" she asked looking back.

Renji nodded, wiping hermouth with his sleeve.

"Last night…" Orihime walked back over and sat on the black leather couch with him. "Keitaro asked me to move in with him…"

He asked her to move in with him? What has it been, only five months? Six? Renji let his spoon rest in his cereal. It was all mushy by now anyway. "…Moving in is a big step."

Orihime nodded. "Yeah, it is." Her brows lifted. "Well? Renji? Should I!"

She stared at him, he could almost see panic in her eyes.

Renji had half the mind not to scoop her up and kiss her right then and there… but what good would that do for anyone?

"If moving in makes you happy…"

She nodded; her wild hair framed her round, soft face. "It would, I think… I know."

It was too late now. The night they saw each other at the party… it was too late then too. In fact, the day he met her was too late too.

He was always a step behind. Even his family was a step behind Keitaro's. His father worked _under_ Kenta Sano. He'd never be in charge. He'd always get the scraps… As for Renji, he'd never have…

_Orihime_.

"…Then that's what you should do."

She squealed and hopped on him, almost spilling his bowl of _Frosted Flakes._ "Thank you Renji!" She squeezed him tight and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll pay you back, big time!" The girl hurriedly grabbed her things, ran to the door and shut it loudly behind her.

Should he give up hope? Had he lost her completely? …Was it really too late.

The bedroom door creaked opened again. Keitaro stepped out wearing only boxers. "Renji? When did you get here?"

"Around two." Renji whispered distractedly.

"In the morning?" Keitaro smirked. "Damn, I hope we didn't make too much noise. Orihime can get loud sometimes." The shirtless man walked over to the dripping coffee machine and poured himself a mug. "Our goddamn neighbors, especially that mom and her two kids across the hall- always complaining about our noises."

"Not at all..." _No wonder she looked so embarrassed stepping out of the room…_

"You know, I was thinking." Keitaro took a sip warm coffee and sat on the edge of his couch.

Renji pulled the blanket off of him and placed his bowl of sour cereal on the table nearby. He dug around for the remote in between the cushions and flipped through a few channels. "About what?"

"About Orihime, of course." Keitaro had it on his mind for awhile now actually. He had never asked this of a woman before, so it was also a big step for him too. "I want her to move in. What do you think about that?"

What did he think about that? If only he knew.

"…Well, she spends more time here than she does at her dorm anyway."

"Exactly." Keitaro went to the kitchen and placed his mug on the counter. He moved to the refrigerator and frowned when he saw his bagel was gone. "I asked her last night. Think she'll say yes?"

Was this the feeling of… defeat? Had he lost her to him completely? No. He knew Orihime. He knew Orihime better than Keitaro did.

He knew the type of guy his best friend was. He used women and tossed them to the side when he was done and had his fun. And when he tossed Orihime- and he will- Renji would be the one to pick up the pieces. He hadn't lost yet… not yet. It was _not_ over yet.

"Yeah… she'll say yes…"

* * *

**Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 1:44:59 PM**

* * *

Kioko blotted the tab with a wet cloth. She counted to thirty in her mind removed the cloth.

The eight year old slowly pulled the tab up and gasped.

It was… beautiful!

She squealed and danced in a circle. She loved to dance; it made her dark pigtails bounce. She loved her pigtails because her father loved her pigtails.

She stared at the temporary tattoo in awe. It was a blue dolphin flying in the air with a sparkly rainbow in the background. Mr. Wakahisa from the Discount Corner Shop gave her one for free a while ago, but she was so afraid of ruining it that she hadn't tried it until now. Also, Mrs. Yoshitaka didn't approve of colorful marking on the body. Once, Irie drew a butterfly on her palm with a pink _Sharpie _marker and Mrs. Yoshitaka made her sit out for the whole lesson!

Kioko blew on her new tattoo waiting for it to dry so she could touch it.

The eight year old walked out the bathroom. Her brother sat on the couch flipping through channels. Normally she'd snatch the remote, start an argument and wait until he left before tuning into Disney Channel for a few reruns of _That's_ _So Raven_ or _Lizzie_ _McGuire_. Raven was funny. Raven could see the future with visions. Kioko wished she could do the same.

The child began humming the theme song as she passed her brother. She decided not to bother him today.

The rainbow twinkled and reflected off the hall lights. She headed towards and passed her mother in the dining room.

Her mother was on the phone. She transferred the cell from one ear to the other as she filed through some papers. She looked busy. Kioko wanted to show her mother her new tattoo, but the conversation would just end the way they all did.

Her mother would say "That's nice" without even looking and then say "baby, I'm busy. We'll talk about it another time". And that's how most days went.

Kioko shrugged her shoulders and went to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water. The eight year old frowned. There was a scratch that she hadn't noticed before. The tattoo was crackling in the pattern of her skin.

Kioko patted the patch, smudging the broken paths. Besides, the smudges would only be noticeable to her anyway.

She walked out of the kitchen, past her mother, her brother, and stopped at the front door.

It was that man. Mr. Kurosaki. He was here again, banging up a storm.

Last week he was fixing the back door. Kioko didn't think her house needed "fixing". She liked it the way it was!

"What are you doing?"

Ichigo looked up. Orihime's daughter was staring at him. How long had she been there? She had a glass of water in her hand. The cup was almost as clear as her eye color. "…I'm widening the treads."

She tilted her head to the side, examining his work. "What's a tread?"

"Well… it's the part you walk on."

Kioko squinted. She still didn't know what he was talking about. Stairs are stairs. You use them to walk upstairs and downstairs, that was it.

"Here," Ichigo stood and handed her a slab of wood. "I'm making it longer so you have more room to walk on."

Kioko placed her glass on the floor and held up the slab. It wasn't as tall as her; she could swing from hand to hand and twirl it against the ground.

She was about to ask him another question but the iconic music of an ice cream truck came rolling down the street.

Ichigo watch as her thick brows perked up at the music. But disappointment soon dawned onto her tiny face.

"Want some ice cream?"

Kioko's gray eyes widened. "My dance teacher says ice cream is bad for you." She looked down at her socks. "Sometimes I feel bad when I eat pizza."

Ichigo smiled. "I'm sure she won't mind this time."

Kioko looked out the window. The ice cream truck rolled down the road slowly, hoping to attract the attention of sweet-toothed children and pushover parents.

Ichigo held out his hand. "Come on, how often does the ice cream man come around?"

The eight year old thought it over some more. _I mean… one ice cream won't hurt… and Mrs. __Yoshitaka wouldn't know, would she?_

Kioko grabbed his hand and ran out the house before the truck left their street. They shouted and yelled until he finally stopped.

The smiling ice cream man stuck his head out the wide window. "What a cutie! What will it be, doll?"

Kioko looked up at her benefactor. "I can have anything?"

"Anything." He repeated.

Kioko chose the pop in the shape of _Dora the Explorer_. Ichigo, _Spiderman_.

Kioko took the Dora pop from the vender. She was about to open it, but didn't want to seem greedy and selfish. "Can my mommy have one too?"

Ichigo nodded. "Of course. Which one do you think she'll like."

Kioko liked him. She made it up in her mind right then and there. He was nice. Even though his hair was spiky in certain places, she found him intriguing and sweet. Like her pop!

The little girl pointed at the simple vanilla drumstick. "This one."

Ichigo pulled out his wallet. "What about your brother?"

Kioko lifted her brow incredulously, as if everyone knew this little fact. "He doesn't like ice cream. He says it's for babies."

But in an eight year old's world, their world was the only world. Their facts were the only facts. Anything else was out-of-the-ordinary. In a good or bad way? She didn't know. But she knew that this Mr. Kurosaki was a good-out-of-the-ordinary.

The duo sat on the front stoop, eating their ice cream. They watched three squirrels dance in the street before chasing one another up a tree. It was actually quiet chilly the past few days, but today was warmer than the rest. Ice cream was a nice treat for the nice day.

Ichigo complimented her tattoo. She frowned. It had crackled even more. Why would he compliment something broken and call it "pretty"?

"Do you think my mommy is pretty?"

Ichigo chuckled, caught off guard a little at her forward question. "I think she's very pretty."

Kioko thought for a moment and sucked a chunk of Dora's hair, it was sweet and syrupy. "Is that why you bought her food?"

"Food?"

"A man takes a lady to go eat food with juice and water and they hold hands and there's candles and a table and… um…" The girl couldn't come up with the rest that happened with a man and woman, but she knew that much because she saw it on a few movies a few times. But when it reached a certain point, her mommy always turned the channel after the first kiss.

"You mean a date."

She nodded, her pigtails flying. "You took mommy on a date."

Ichigo needed the answer the question delicately but honestly. Children always repeated what they heard and tell their parents. So Ichigo didn't want anything getting back to her mother unkindly if he wanted to take another shot at her again. "I took your mother on a date because I like her for her, not just because she's pretty." He licked the dripping red and blue lines off of Spiderman's face. "Your mother is very nice. I like her personality."

Kioko's face felt hot just thinking about asking him the next question. But she blurted it out anyway. "… Do you like my personality?"

"Yes, I do."

Kioko blushed.

Yes, she liked him very much.

**…**

Orihime rubbed her temples. The combination of a hammer knocking and her phone buzzing was enough to drive her up a wall. She needed break. Yes, definitely a break.

If it was up to her, she wouldn't be working so hard to distract herself. But… she needed her stairs fixed. And of course the man that was fixing them was the man she ran out of a date with.

What the hell was wrong with her again?

Orihime opened the kitchen door. It was close to two o'clock. Maybe she'd order lunch for the kids… maybe Ichigo was hungry too.

She walked to the living room. The television was on but no one was watching. She could hear laughter coming from the front of the house. She looked around the corner at the stairs. Ichigo was gone too.

The mother opened the front door and found her daughter and Ichigo laughing on the front stoop.

Kioko looked up, her face all flushed from laughing. "Oh, hi mommy!" She lifted a packet. "Look, Mr. Kurosaki bought you an ice cream…"

Orihime took the packet. It felt soggy, as if the ice cream had run down the sides of the cone and made the waffle weak.

Kioko frowned. "Oh, sorry. It melted a little."

Orihime opened it anyway and took a slurp. "Where's your brother?"

"He took his bike and said he's going to a friend's house." Kioko pointed her tiny finger in the right direction. "I told him you would be angry if he left without your permission."

Orihime smiled and gave her daughter a kiss on her rounded cheek. "Don't worry, baby. I'll deal with your brother later…" She sat on the other side of Kioko and continued to eat her ice cream. "Can you go get your mom a napkin, please?"

Kioko nodded and eagerly ran into the house.

And then there were two.

Ichigo lowered the chewed, red stained popsicle stick from his lips.

Orihime took a deep breath and spoke at the same moment he did.

"You first." She whispered.

"I'm sorry for the other night." He confessed.

"You make me feel terrible when you apologize first." She heard him chuckle and she did too. "…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off like that."

The weather wasn't bad. It was breezy- not too chilly. Orihime pushed a few strands of loose hair behind her ears. She placed her ice cream on the step. It was too melted to eat anyway.

And what was more to be spoken about? She'd love to explain herself… but he probably wouldn't understand. Hell, she didn't understand completely. She just knew that at that moment in time, she needed to get away from him- far away.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "I would like to take you out again. I hope my age won't be a problem."

"It's just that…"

"You're thirty-three, and I'm twenty-eight." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "So what."

Orihime shook her head. "'So what'? That's five years. When I was pregnant with Kenta you were just hitting puberty."

Ichigo smiled. "I was actually a late bloomer."

The mother couldn't help but snicker at his confession. Even when she was attempting a serious conversation he could cheer her up. But was that a good thing?

She took another deep breath and scooted closer to him. "…If I'm going to pursue a relationship, it needs to be long-term. I need to be with someone stable and trustworthy. Someone older."

She felt like a bitch for saying it out loud.., but it needed to be said. This, of course, wasn't the only reason. Deep down inside she knew that this might end badly. For the both of them. It was best for them to break it off, forget it ever happened… but neither actually wanted that to happen.

"How about this..?" He scooted closer too. "You go on another date with me, and if I don't 'wow' your pants off, you'll never have to go on another date with me again.

"How about we just see where this leads… And I won't make you pay for the stairs." He added jokingly.

"Hey, I thought those were free!"

Another series of laughter ensued.

He gave her his hand. "Deal?"

She took his hand. "Deal."

Ichigo leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Orihime grinned when they parted. This time she leaned in to kiss him back, but the front door slammed open.

Kioko was frowning. "I got the napkins."

Orihime glanced down at the melted blob of cream one step below. "That you, sweetie."

Ichigo stood. "I should finish those stairs." He smiled sweetly at the mother as he walked back into the house.

The eight year old glared up at her mother. "Mom, your face."

"Huh?"

"Your face is red again."

Kioko dropped the napkins on the ground and stormed back into the house. She ran into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

She saw him first. She saw him first at the supermarket. She called dibs! But it was just like the movies. They kissed. And it wasn't her mother who turned the channel this time, but Kioko. She interrupted them because she didn't want to see anymore. She didn't want to know…

Kioko rubbed her wet eyes with the back of her hand. It was then she realized that her tattoo was completely ruined.

* * *

**Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 12:23:58 PM**

* * *

Kenta was forgetting something… he knew he was forgetting something…

Mrs. Mori wrote on the blackboard with white chalk. "Can anyone tell me the unit of frequency we study in this chapter?"

Tōshirō Hitsugaya raised his hand. "Hertz."

"Yes." Mrs. Mori turned and finished writing on the board.

Kenta rolled his eyes. Hitsugaya was such a wad. He knew every answer to every question and was always raising his hand. What a twerp.

"Hey." Goro tapped Kenta's shoulder. "Look."

Kenta watched a note being passed from person to person. Mrs. Mori turned to the class. "And can anyone tell me who the Hertz was named after?"

Hitsugaya answered again._ "_Heinrich Hertz."

"Thank you, Tōshirō, for actually reading the textbook." Mrs. Mori said sarcastically, lowering her glasses and staring at the children in her 8th grade classroom. She turned again and the whispering and note passing started up again.

Kenta scoffed. What a dip. Who would fall for anything that nerd says?

Yuzu giggled. She had the note in her hand and she was showing it to one of her friends. They both looked across the room, at Tōshirō.

Kenta scowled. What could the note possibly say?

"What's up?" Goro pinched his arm, trying to get his attention. Goro followed his eyes to the cute girl with the short sandy brown hair.

Kenta winced and rubbed his shoulder."_…Nothing…"_

Kenta knew throughout the day that he was forgetting something. Even when the bell rung and school was out at three, he still felt that something was off.

"Hey, look!" Goro pushed Kenta into a brick wall. "It's your girlfriend!"

Sure enough, Yuzu and a few friends were walking down the sidewalk, coming towards them.

"Shut up!" Kenta pushed Goro to the ground and the rest of the boys snickered. "And she's not my girlfriend."

Goro stood. "I see the way you stare at her in class. He's whipped!"

"I'll show you whipped…" Kenta mumbled. He pulled out a cigarette and used an old lighter he found in the house to light it.

Yuzu nodded her head, completely agreeing with Hitomi.

"I mean… he's dreamy isn't he!" Hitomi bounced in place. "I think Karin has a crush on him!"

Karin blushed. "I do not!"

"He's so… so… awesome! Oh _Tōshirō Hitsugaya..._be mine!" Hitomi exclaimed. The rest of the girls giggled at her hilarious outburst.

Yuzu could have continued to walk by. In fact, she didn't notice him at all until one of them cough. And though she couldn't believe her eyes, there he was, standing there with a cigarette in his hand. "Kenta…?"

The thirteen year old nodded in her direction. "Sup." He brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled.

She blinked, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her. "Wha-what are you doing?"

Kenta shrugged. "I'm chillin'."

Yes, Kenta had been cold and distant before. When they were younger, he'd purposely push her down on the ground to see her cry. He'd then apologize later. But this… this was different. This was taking it too far…

Yuzu stepped forward. She was on the verge of tears. "But… this isn't like you."

Kenta pushed his weight off the wall and stomped in front of her. "You don't know me!" He yelled in her face. "No one does!"

Yuzu turned and ran. Her friends chased after her, hoping to calm her down.

"Tell my mom and you're dead!" Kenta shouted at her as she ran away.

* * *

**Friday, February, 11, 2000 at 10:13:09 PM**

* * *

"No… no… no!"

Keitaro chewed on his granola bar.

"That's not fair. You're just making assumptions!"

Raisins? He swore he brought chocolate.

Orihime raked her hands through her long hair. "I'll call you later."

Keitaro bit around the raisins and looked up at his girlfriend. "Your aunt again?" She nodded. "That was a lot more shouting than last time."

Orihime sat down and opened her textbook. "She just doesn't like that whole idea of moving in with a boy."

Keitaro smiled up at her. "I bet she'd change her mind if she met me."

"I bet her mind would stay the same if you did." She mumbled.

"Orihime, I really don't want to come between you and your family…"

Orihime's aunt was paying for her college expenses. So when her niece informed her that she was moving out of her expensive dorm for a _boy_, all hell had broke loose.

Orihime flipped a page in her book. "You're not. I promise. She's just being difficult because not being difficult is too easy."

"You hungry?"

"There's nothing to eat. I checked already."

"Then let's go grocery shopping." He closed her textbook. "We need to get out of here anyway. All we do is work, study, and sleep."

That was easy for him to say. He never studied, and if she did she never saw him do it. How he graduated top of his class was beyond her still.

It was far too late to drive down to the supermarket, so they stopped by the corner store where they got all their junk food for cheap. It was pretty much empty inside, save for the cashier, and an older lady.

Keitaro squeezed her sides and kissed her cheek. "Okay, you conquer breakfast and lunch, and I'll get the dinner."

Orihime walked into the snack aisle. _We really need to eat healthier… _she thought as she threw a bag of _Cheetos_ in her mini basket.

The doorbell twinkled as another pair entered. Orihime dropped _Oreos_ in her bag. _Aw, no double stuffed?!_

Two drunken men walked down her aisle. They were very loud, hooting and pushing the merchandise on the counters around.

Orihime grabbed a box of instant rice and plopped it in her basket. She rolled her eyes at the rowdy duo. She hated alcohol and everything that followed with it. It made people uncontrollable and unpredictable- a danger to themselves and everyone around them.

Alcohol was one of the major reasons he aunt took her in. Her father had abused it, along with other things and her mother couldn't take it anymore.

"Watch this." She heard one of them whispered.

She felt a hard pinch on her bottom. "Hey!"

The taller one lifted his hands in the air and backed away. "Wasn't me!"

"Now, Nick, why you gotta throw me under the bus like that?!" The other nudged his friend with a smug smile on his lips.

Orihime took a deep breath. "Don't do that…"

The taller one poked out his bottom lip, feigning innocence. "Look, now you went on and made her cry."

"Don't cry pretty thing." The second one touched her chin but she moved away. "Don't you know it's dangerous be out here all alone at night?"

"I..."

"Hey." Keitaro tapped the second guy on the shoulder and punched him once he turned.

Orihime squeaked and ducked, closing her eyes. She waited until the rumbling ended before opening them again.

Keitaro was leaning over the first guy, his boot on his chest he pushed his dark hair out of his face. "Fucking touch my girl again and I'll beat the living shit out of you." He stood up and grabbed Orihime's hand. "Got everything you want?"

The girl nodded and stepped over the two moaning jerks on the tile floor.

The pigtailed girl at the checkout stared at Keitaro in awe. She swiped the frozen dinners and snack with shaking hands. "Would you like to use your membership card? You'll get two percent back on every purchase..?"

Keitaro shook his head. "No thanks." He handed her a wad of bills. Even the elder woman seemed at lost for words. "Oh, and clean up on aisle three. Keep the change."

It was quiet when they entered the car. He checked his pockets and opened and closed the compartments in the car. "Damn… I forgot to get a pack of cigs."

Orihime blinked. "Keitaro… what was that back there."

"What?" He slowed down at the red light. "Someone puts their hands on you, you tell me. Okay?"

"How did you even..?"

"Black belt in kickboxing. Red in taekwondo…" He shrugged. "Jumping and spinning kicks weren't really my thing."

Orihime glanced over him. He hadn't even broken a sweat!

He could feel her eyes on him and grinned over at his girlfriend, displaying his dimples. "I guess you can call me sensei now."

* * *

**Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 2:30:51 PM**

* * *

Orihime placed Kenta's soccer bag in back seat. He had practice on Tuesdays, she was sure of it. It had all of his stuff in it so he must have forgotten it. If she got there in time, she'd drop it off at the field.

The woman drove to her best friend's house. Rukia's advice was just what she needed to clear her mind. She always had a fresh perspective and managed to keep her head on straight.

She knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

She and Rukia had lots to talk about. Rukia called her this morning, and asked her to come over. It was easier for her to set up little dates because she worked from home as a freelance graphic designer. Orihime wished her hours were that flexible.

The front door opened and Renji filled the door way. "Oh, hey Renji!" He stared down at her for a moment before awkwardly moving past her. "Hi," he said quickly over his shoulder.

Orihime entered. The house looked the same, smelled like lilacs as usual, but everything felt different.

"Rukia?"

"In here!" She called from the kitchen.

Orihime placed her purse on the kitchen table. Rukia was scrubbing dishes in a soapy sink. She had the trash can near her and dropped broken glass in it whenever she encountered some.

Still, the air felt stale. "What's… going on…?"

Rukia removed her cleaning gloves as she turned around. "We had another argument last night…"

Orihime winced. "Was it really bad?"

Rukia had been dropping hints for a while now. Something was going on in their relationship, but Rukia never told the whole story. Actually, Orihime doubted if she knew the whole story for herself.

Rukia nodded. "I know Sanji heard the whole thing. He couldn't even look at me this morning."

Orihime went to the refrigerator and poured then both a glass of orange juice. "What was it about?"

"I don't even know anymore. I feel like we just argue just to argue sometimes… Just to feel something? Just to know that each other's there…"

"Yeah…" Orihime handed her the glass. "I know the feeling…"

"I don't want to argue with him… but it just happens. One moment where eating dinner and the next I'm slamming plates and he's shouting in my ear and…" She shook her head. "Is it possible to fall out of love?"

"I don't think so." She took her friend's small hands. "I think we may suppress our feelings or they may lie dormant, but it'll resurface again. And soon" Orihime added for good measure.

Rukia nodded, understanding. She looked up and smiled, wiping her flushed way. "By the way, how did the date go?"

Orihime sighed and took a sip of orange juice. "Rukia… it feels so right that it's wrong."

Rukia stood. She walked to the sink and drained the suds and water. "He called me yesterday. Did you really beg to go home?"

"Basically." Orihime checked her cell phone. It was ten of three. Kenta wasn't going to have his stuff since practice would be over soon. "But we talked it over today."

"And..?"

Orihime grinned. "And we'll give it another shot."

Rukia mulled it over in her mind. "Hmm. It's weird…"

Orihime leaned forward. "What is?"

"I just never thought to hook you too up. Ichihime... I like the ring to it."

Orihime rolled her eyes. "Please, don't make that a 'thing'."

**…**

Orihime got the call that Ikuya and Irie's mom was picking the girls up from dance, so Orihime had just enough time to get to Kenta's practice before it ended. She would still be too late, but late was better than never.

Orihime parked in the parking lot and waited until she saw the boys leaving the field. Normally, Kenta was the first was out, but it was taking him longer than usual.

The mother left her car and crossed the field. She approached the man in the sweats and cap. "Coach! Coach!"

"Mrs. Sano… Inoue."

Orihime remembered his face all too well. Short stature, thin long nose, nice smile. After the accident, he had unabashedly made multiple passes at her. Maybe she would have bite, but his rudeness and timing was unfortunate. Besides, he just married a very nice woman from out of town last year. She was nice, blonde and quirky, but in a cute way.

"… Where's Kenta? Did he leave early?"

Coach Ueda propped a bag of soccer balls over his shoulder. "Ms. Inoue… Kenta left the team. He hasn't been to practice in months."

The mother blinked, unsure if she heard him right. Ueda dropped the bag. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. I sent home a letter voicing my concern. He was one of the best on the team."

Orihime's mind was reeling. If Kenta wasn't at practice, then where was he most days… who was he with and what were they doing?! Orihime grinned. "Sorry to bother you."

Orihime stomped across the field. How? Why..?

She drove as calmly as a scorned mother could. She picked up Kioko from her friend's house and waited for her son to come home.

"Mommy, are you mad at me?"

Orihime moved her eyes away from the screen. It was about four-thirty, way past practice time… Oh, Kenta was going to get it.

"No, I'm mad at your brother."

Kioko held a bowl of organic popcorn in her lap and watched Phil make a fool of himself and Claire chase after him in _Modern Family._

"Why are you mad at Kenny?"

Orihime crossed her arms and lifted her feet into the leather ottoman. Kioko tried to lift her feet too but her legs were too short. "Because Kenny fibbed to me."

Kioko watched her mom pop a kernel in her mouth. "What'd he fib about?"

Orihime watched as Phil Dunphy failed at another magic trick. She felt Kioko's large gray eyes staring up at her.

The mother sighed. "Eat your popcorn."

"When's Mr. Kurosaki coming over again?" Her daughter asked. She munched on her popcorn, causing her dimples weave in and out.

Orihime opened her mouth. She called him the other day to thank him for the stairs- they looked fabulous by the way. He also set up at date on Saturday. She needed to remind him about…

The front door opened and slammed shut.

Orihime stood. "Kenta?"

"Mom?"

"In here. Now."

Kenta removed his hoodie and shoes and entered the living room. "Is something wrong?"

"Where were you?"

Kenta lifted his thick brow. "At soccer practice. Why?"

Orihime crossed the room and pulled his soccer duffel from behind a bookcase. She dropped the bag on the floor. "Now tell me where you really were."

Kenta huffed, shifting from one foot to the other. He knew he was forgetting something. He left his dumb soccer bag in his room, and today of all days his mom just happened to find it. "… I was at my friend Arashi's house."

Orihime stepped closer. She was getting ready to raise her voice, but she sniffed a familiar scent. "What… what is that smell." She grabbed his collar and breathed in. "Have you been smoking?!"

Kenta groaned and tried to push him away. "Mom…"

The mother swatted her son on the back of his head. "Were you smoking?" she repeated.

Kenta looked down at his feet. "Arashi's mom smokes. I must have got the smell on me."

Orihime pointed up stairs. "To your room now."

"But mom-"

"Now! Until I figure out what to do with you!"

Orihime groaned and returned to her seat on the couch. When did he become so difficult? When did he become a _teenager_?

The smell of cigarettes was too strong. He had to be the one smoking them. Orihime shook her head. Why couldn't he just go back to being a kid?

"Kioko, promise me something." The mother scooped her daughter up into a tight hug. "Never grow up. Stay my baby forever."

Kioko squirmed in her mother's hold. "Mommy!" She tried to push her mother away.

Orihime let her go, shocked. "What?!"

"It's back on…" Kioko whispered distractedly as the commercial break ended. She popped another popcorn in her mouth.

* * *

**Friday, February, 11, 2000 at 12:20:28 AM**

* * *

"Sensei?"

Keitaro smirked. "Yeah?"

Orihime scooted closer to him under the blankets. "Have you thought about using your skills for something good?"

The first few times she slept in a bed with him was weird. She had never slept in a bed with another person before- that is if you don't count running scared into her aunt's bedroom after a nightmare.

But it was comfortable in his bed, especially when he was in it with her.

She wrapped both arms around his. "You tell me all the time how you hate the thought of working for your dad… so why not be a firefighter?"

"Orihime.., firefighters don't literally fight fires."

"I know… but something along those lines."

Keitaro rested his hand on the back of his neck and stared up at the ceiling. "Like… a cop?"

"Maybe." She hadn't really thought about that. Honestly, all she could image was Keitaro doing a karate kick into a giant fiery monster.

"I guess shooting a gun for a living would be fun."

Orihime yawned. "And fighting crime."

"Me, Keitaro Sano. Shooting guns and fighting crime. Huh." He rubbed her cheek with her thumb. "My dad sure would get a kick out of that."

She kissed his palm and closed her eyes. "All I'm saying is think about it."

"Maybe I will…"


End file.
